Come Away to The Water
by TheMockingjay1998
Summary: We all know the story of Katniss and Peeta, but what about another couple? Finnick and Annie's love story is full of romance, courage, and sacrifice. Their story deserves to be told, so here it is. From before each of their games until the end of Mockingjay. Rated t because it's the hunger games. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
1. Chapter 1

A/n. I really really hope you guys like this story. I'm going to try and update weekly. As always, please read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with the hunger games!

Come Away To The Water

Chapter 1

I wake up and stretch, feeling the muscles ripple under my skin. I yawn. I'm fishing with my father today, so I'm sure the day will be long and exhausting. I slide out of bed with a slight groan and slip into my clothesfor today. As always, short sleeves and shorts. Why wear anything else when fishing on a hot summer day?

I live in district four. My name is Finnick Odair. I am fourteen years old. I've been lucky to be born in a district where they train children for the games. I'm the top of my class in the training department. I don't like it at all. I go dounstairs and see my father waiting for me in the kitchen. He has my tanned skin and sea green eyes. He is tall with brownish black hair. He has a muscular build. I avoid his gaze and sit down to eat breakfast. It's not that I don't like my father, I really do. It's just that he can be emotionless at times, and I can tell that today is one of those times. He has been this way since my mother died. I barely remember, because I was four when it happened. She was always adventurous, and wanted to go beyond the limits of district four. She built a remarkably sturdy raft from lumber she found in the woods boardering the east side of the district. She sailed away on the early-morning tide. Unfortunately for all of us, she was spotted by a squad of peacekeepers when she was barely visible in the distance.

To my four-year-old self, she looked so strong and confident. At that moment, she looked brave enough to do anything. Even now, I have flashbacks of the peacekeepers piling into a patrol boat and speeding off to where she was now frantically paddling. A white-uniformed man shot my mother on the spot for insightting rebellion.

Even after ten years, the sound of the gunshot is still a tangible thing. I can feel it rippinga hole in my heart. As a little four-year-old, all I knew was that mommy was gone.

I know my father remembers that moment perhaps even more than me. Usually, we are both happy. There are times, though, when I can't ever imagine being happy again.

I shake my head to clear it of such depressing thoughts and eat my fish. I get a very small quantity, as usual. We are not as rich as the victors in Victor's village after all. A ry smile forms on my face at the thought.

Once done, I clean my plate and walk outside with Father to prepare the boat for another day of fishing. This takes about half an hour. I rearrange the nets, and untie all the appropriate ropes. Once everything is in it's correct place, we set sail.

Of corse, we have certain limits we have to stay within, or we'll get shot right then and there. The peacekeepers are extra careful with us after my mother's death. Wouldn't want anyone getting hurt, would we? I glare at the water and wait until we're further from shore until I cast my fishing line and throw the nets out to sea.

There is usually nothing to see or do on a normal day at sea. Usually, all there is to do is clean and gut fish and wait for the next catch so we can repeat the process. Today if different, though. Today, a white fishing boat appears in the distance. A little girl is dangling her feet over the rail, laughing. She looks to be about seven or eight, and skinny enough to slip through the gap between the bench and the railing, if she's not careful.

As if the thought calls up the action, slipping is exactly what she does. Her smile freezes on her face as she lets out a cry and slides into the watter.

I can tell by her posture and panicked expression that she can't swim. It looks like her mother, who is peering helplessly over the side of the bote at her struggling daughter, can't either. For a moment, I am numb, and can only watch as the small girl struggles. Then, I come back to my senses. I stamd up, climb up onto the railing, and careful to avoid the fishing-lines and nets, I jump. The water is slightly cold, bringing slight goosebumps to my limbs. I spot the girl entangled in a net and swim strongly over to her.

I hold her steady while I gently disentangle her from the net, using my legs to keep myself afloat. Her breath is coming in shallow gasps. From what I can tell, she didn't swallow any water. I think her panic is now subsiding into shock, though. I hug her shivvering body close to me as I swim with her toward her mother's boat.

I wave to her mother to signal that her little girl is safe, then I help her climb back abord the white boat.

"Tth-thanks." She stammers out through chattering teeth. She really must be cold. I smile at her.

"Anytime. What's your name?" I ask, wondering if I'd recognize it from anywhere.

"A-Annie. Annie Cresta." She says. She gives me a shy smile and waves while I return to my own boat. Annie Cresta. I've definately heard the name before. I sigh. I'll have to ask Father about it later, but for now, I had to continue with my job.

A/n. You like it? Hate it? Please, please review. Five reviews and I'll update before next Wednesday. Thanks so much for reading!

HouseOfNightMockingjay13


	2. Chapter 2

A/n. Hi.  
Hope you like the next chapter of Come Away To The Water! :) Please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger games!

Chapter 2

Just as the sun is sinking toward the ocean, turning the water a silvery gray, my father and I set sail for home. I am still a little damp from my little swim, and all I want to do right now is change and fall into bed. I sigh inwardly and shake my head. I have to ask Father about the Crestas.

"Dad?" I try tentatively, not sure if he's up to talking. He still seems to be in his own little world, examining the day's catch through unseeing eyes.

"Mmm?" He sort of grunts.

Even though he's not really paying attention, I ask anyway. "Do you know anything about the Crestas?" He looks at me for a long moment. His sea green eyes seem to bore a hole into me.

He always does this, analyzing the situation before offering facts or advice. "I haven't heard much about them." He says as we dock. Perfect timing, now the peacekeepers can hear every word we say. "I've heard they're nice people, and only have one daughter." I can't believe he doesn't talk about the little girl drowning in the ocean today. Did he even notice? No, probably not.

"Oh. Thanks." I say, hoping I don't sound annoyed. I didn't get a speck of new information.

I help father unload the catch, and we attempt to sell it at the market. We make an ok proffet, but not as good as usual. The remaining fish we save for dinner tonight and, if we're lucky, breakfast in the morning.

As we walk the short distance home, the warm feeling of weariness creeps over me. It has been a long day, and now that I think about it, I'm still shocked about the little girl in the ocean.

As soon as we get home, father fries the fish, and we sit down to our usual silent dinner. After a long day of fishing, this is usually pretty depressing. As soon as I can, I leave the table and get into bed.

Lying there, all I can think about is that little girl flailing around in the ocean. The morbid thought comes to me that if she were a tribute in The Hunger Games, she wouldn't really have a chance to survive. I almost gasp aloud at the direction my thoughts have taken. The girl is only eight or so. She has time before the arena. I lay there for a little longer, letting the events of today play in my mind. Eventually, the leftover feeling of the rocking waves lulls me to sleep.

When I wake, I don't hear the usual clattering downstairs that means my father is making breakfast. I look out the window and a grin appears on my face. The sun is halfway up the sky. Father must have decided to let me rest today. He usually only does this on training days, the days that all the kids are required to go to the academy. I guess today's just my lucky day. I jump out of bed and throw on some clothes. After eating some fish that was left out for me, I sprint out of the house and look around. It's business as usual in district four. All the boats that were docked at the harbor can now only be seen as little specks in the distance. All the market stalls are full of people trying to make at least an ok profit on their goods.

I smile to myself as I realize that I have no idea what to do with free time. After thinking for a few moments, I decide to walk around and see what else is going on. I walk along the peer, seeing the water sparkle blue in the sunlight.

I walk for about five minutes before anything remotely interesting happens. I see the little girl I saw yesterday dangling her legs over the side of the peer. She looks kind of scared of something.

"Hey Annie." I call out before I can stop myself. She looks up, startled, and gives me a shy half smile.

"Hi," she returns, returning her gaze toward the water.

"It's a nice day, why aren't you swimming?" I offer, not quite knowing what to say. I remember myself as an eight-year-old. No one could pull me out of the ocean then.

She looks kind of imbarassed, and says, "I don't like water much. Kind of scares me." She trails off, staring even more intently at the water.

"Really? Well, I could teach you how to swim, if you want." I hope she'll say yes. She's kind of like the little sister I never had. Kind of. She shakes her head, but she's smiling shyly.

The water here is shallow, so I decide to take the risk. I pick her up easily and toss her into the calm water. She shrieks, and I jump in after her. She's found her footing, and she's standing on the bottom of the ocean, her chin just breaking the surface of the water. She's laughing, probably, this was the first time someone had thrown her into the ocean. She gives me one of her shy smiles and says. "So what now?" I splash her.

She laughs and says, "Ok, so I'm not that scared right now. Can you just teach me how to swim?"

"Ok," I say smiling. I help her learn the basic strokes, but the seriousness of the lesson doesn't last long. Soon, we're splashing each other and cracking up. It's a classic water fight.

Annie's really not that bad of a swimmer, seeing that she's only had one half of a lesson. She seems to have completely gotten over her fear as she ducks and weaves around ropes, finding ways to dunk me like only an eight-year-old can. This goes on for hours. When we're both tired, we climb back up onto the peer and lay their, still gasping with laughter.

"Thanks, Finnick. That was really fun. I'm not scared anymore!" Annie exclaims. I smile.

"Anytime," I say, still chuckling. I turn over on my back and realize that it's past noon.

Annie seems to have noticed this also because she sighs and says, "Gotta go help my mom with lunch. See you later, Ok?" I wave and smile as she walks away. I let out a happy sigh of my own. Sure, I spent the morning hanging out with an eight-year-old girl, but living in district four and training forced me to grow up to fast. It was nice to worry about nothing and laugh and splash for just one day. I smile. Just one day of laughter.

A/n. Like it? Absolutely hate it? I didn't update until today because I got no reviews :( Please even just a coment would help me improve my writing and this story. Thanks so much for reading!

-HouseOfNightMockingjay14


	3. Chapter 3

A/n. Hi again. I'm updating so soon because of the reviews I got. Thanks so much! In one of the reviews, someone told me that chapter one is a little chopy. I'm really sorry about that. I'd totally fix it, but I'm on an ipad, so when I tried to edit the chapter, it deleted everything. :( Anyway, I should really shut up now. :) Here's chapter three.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games! Wish I did, though.

Chapter 3

The next few weeks are really fun for me. Anytime I can, I teach Annie how to swim. She's getting really good, now. The only thing I'm worried about at the moment is the coming reaping, obviously. I'm the best in the training program, so if I get picked, no one will volunteer for me. They'll just expect me to go, no questions asked. Annie is getting close to her first reaping. She's already ten, and she's one of the few kids in my district who isn't being trained to be a career.

I decide not to think about the games anymore as I climb onto the fishing boat with Father for another long day.

Nothing interesting happens that day, aside from some seagulls taking their pick from our fish supply.

I can tell by the way the air feels, and the fact that clouds are beginning to hover in the sky that Winter is approaching, and with it come the games. All I can really do now is wait and see what happens.

Days pass, then weeks. All I could do during that time was fish and think, but now, the day before the reaping, I'm required to train from dawn til dusk.

As soon as I enter the academy, the tention in the air is palpable. Possible tributes glare at each other. To them, this is just a game. They want to compete, and they surely won't mind killing other kids to have the glory. I hate all of them.

As I'm thinking about how much I hate the people here, one of them walks up to me. She wastes no time with hellos, but cuts streight to the chase. "You're so lucky." She growns. "You'll probably win the games no problem if you get picked. All that glory, just like that!" Before I can even open my mouth to form a rude but cocky reply like I usually have to in this kind of situation, she sneers at me and swaggers away.

"Girls." I mutter, feeling dubious. Will I ever understand them?

I walk into the gym, and walk over to join my age-group. All of them are glaring at me, probably thinking that I'll get picked. Why can't they get it through their thick heads that I don't want to get picked? I sigh as the trainer, Mr. Stone, walks in and blows a whistle. He reminds me of a commanding officer in the army or something like that. He has no mercy for anyone. His modo is that we should not stop, ever, unless we pass out or puke. It's happened to me before, and it will probably happen again. The only word I can think of to describe him is cruel. Apparently, I'm the only person in district four who sees things this way, because everyone else's faces light up in grins when he walks through the door. I force my lips to turn upward in my usual cocky grin. I'm glad I'm good at faking things and hiding emotions. It'll surve me well if I'm ever reaped.

The day of training passes as usual. Ripping dummies apart with our choice weapon, hand to hand combat, knife and spearthrowing, you know. The usual. By the time the day is over, I'm exhausted and sweat is pouring down my face and back. I shower and change in the Academy's locker room, and head out of the academy.

To my surprise, the first person I see when I walk out the door is Annie. She's walking quickly past the academy, every once in awhile glancing at the double doors where kids are talking and smirking at one another. They'r obviously bragging about their successes in today's training session. Annie doesn't look scared, exactly. She just seems slightly disgusted as she glances at the kids congregated by the door.

When she sees me, a look of surprise passes over her face, but the look is quickly replaced by the similar look of disgust as I pretend to be proud of today's accomplishments. I twinge of sadness overwhelms me. I never wanted her to see me like this. I'm forced to continue bragging so the trainers who are standing nearby don't get suspicious of me. My heart aches to see the way the little kids look at me, like I'm their hero or something.

As soon as it's possible, I detatch myself from the group and begin my walk home. As I turn onto a deserted street, I hear running footsteps from behind me. I turn around, expecting it to be one of the little kids from the Academy. I compose myself and get ready to play the cocky and talented Finnick Odair. But instead of a kid from the academy, I see Annie panting and sprinting toward me. The expression on her face surprises me. Her face is red with anger. I don't think I've ever seen her mad, not even when I threw her into the ocean. She walks right up to me and slaps me right across the face.

"I never knew what a cocky jerk you were until now." She almost screams. "She's only ten, but she's pretty obsurvant." I think to myself.

"I never knew you could be so... so..." She can't think of a word to describe what an awful person I am.

"Sadistic. Evil. Ruthless. A Capital lapdog? Yeah, sure. Annie, if you knew me better, you'd know that isn't the truth. At least I hope it's not." I almost scream, matching her tone of voice. She takes a tiny step back, but doesn't flinch.

"You don't impress me, Finnick Odair. You don't scare me, either." With that, she walks away. All I can do is stare at the spot where she rounded the corner onto the next street. Annie is one of the only sane people in this district. She's only ten, and she's growing up in a district where killer instincts are honed and trained to the fullest, but she already sees the big picture.

I sigh and trudge slowly home. My stomach has chosen this convenient time to tie itself into knots. I'm extremely scared for the reaping in the morning, though I'd never admit it to anyone. As I sleep that night, the words that I threw back at Annie replay themselves in my mind. Am I really sadistic? A Capital lapdog? All I can do right now is hope with all my heart and soul that I am not.

A/n. I know. Boring filler chapter. I hate writers block :). Please let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

HouseOfNightMockingjay14


	4. Chapter 4

A/n. Hi guys.  
Thanks soo much for all the follows and reviews! You guys seriously made my day. I got a review saying that the chapters are a little short, so I'll try my best to make them longer. Thanks so much for telling me what I need to fix! Anyway, here's chapter four.

Disclaimer" I don't own anything to do with the Hunger Games, sadly.

Chapter 4

Reaping day dawns with a cruel bright sun hanging in the sky. The blue sky paints the backdrop for what should be a perfect day, but I know better. Today, twenty-three kids well be sentenced to death. The lucky one will make it out alive. I can't decide if I'd want to be a victor or not if I was forced into the games. I don't think I'd want to remember killing twenty-three kids.

Before my thoughts can go down that road, I jump out of bed and get dressed in my reaping outfit, a nicer shirt and jeans that haven't been that torn by days out fishing.

When I get to breakfast, I see that Father is as worried about today as I am. He's not like most dads in our district. He doesn't approve of the games at all, and has done everything in his power to make sure I feel the same way about them. He doesn't have any words for me as I sit down to breakfast. He just gives me a long sad look before returning his gaze to the plate in front of him.

I find myself eating quickly and rushing out to the unusually nice fall day. Our reaping is at ten o'clock, so I'm right on time as I join the line of kids waiting to get their fingers pricked.

After they take my blood, I join the fourteens in our section. Our reapings aren't like the reapings of districts like ten, eleven, or twelve. There is an air of excitement about the town square that I'll probably never fully understand. People are smirking and laughing while they wait for our escort, Sparkle or Shine or something like that to climb onstage. I just play along, as usual, smirking, laughing, and bragging with the others. They all seem to shy away from me today, like I'm going to kill them with a look. I sigh inwardly. Here we go again.

The escort has just stepped onstage, and, as usual, she looks more than happy to be standing in front of us.

"Welcome, Welcome!" She exclaims in her high-pitched capital accent. I have to hide a smile behind my hand. Why do people from the capital have to talk so strangely? Then, she continues. "It is an honor to be your escort for the sixty-eighth annual Hunger Games! Ladies first."

She walks over to the girls' bowl as briskly as she can in ten-inch heals. After digging around in thebowl for several seconds, she pulls out a slip of paper and scuttles back to the podium. I can almost feel everyone in the square collectively draw breath as Sparkle or whoever reads the name, "Hanna Wilson."

Some gasps can be heard from the girls' section of the croud. My heart almost breaks right there as a twelve-year-old walks with stiff, small steps to the stage. She climbs the steps and walks, trembling, over to the escort. The escort smiles at her, and Hanna shrinks back.

"Well, well! Here's our girl tribute! Let's have a nice round of applause, shall we?" To my horror, everyone starts clapping. Seriously? They are applauding the death of a twelve-year-old? There'ssomething wrong with all of them. I make my hands move together and apart, together and apart, but I'm still numb with shock.

The thing that brings me out of my haze of anger is the escort walking to the boys' bowl. A stab of worry overwhelms me. All I can do is hope. It won't be me, it won't be me, no, no, no. The escort walks bak to the podium once more and reads the dreaded name. "Finick Odair." My brain goes numb, but my body knows what to do. I have a plan. The practiced cocky smirk plasters itself on my face, and my legs move in confident strides toward the stage. As I climb the steps, my body is strong but my heart is crumbling to dust. I won't do this, I won't become a monster. I won't fall into their trap. I can't fall into this horrible, sick, sadistic trap.

I stop the babbling in my head with one thought. I'm not what Annie thinks I am, and I never will be. This thought makes my heart break even more though, and now I don't know what to do. The escort is smiling, Hanna looks scared out of her wits, and I stand there, the smirk still stuck like glue to my face, having no idea what to think or do.

I amunhearing and unfeeling while the mayer reads the Treaty of Treason, which is required every year. Before I know it, peacekeepers are grabbing my arms and pushing me into the Justice building. I sigh. This is the time to say goodbye to our families.

The peacekeepers push me into the most lavish room I have ever set foot in. The room is decorated with ornate paintings, and furnished with velvit and silk couches and chairs. I sit doun on the couch, waiting for my visitors.

I'm not surprised to see Father come in first. I can tell he's been crying, which is extremely rare for him. For the first time in a long time, I rush into his open arms. We hug for a few moments, and then he whispers, "Please try to win, Finnick. You're all I have left." His voice breaks on the last word, and he hugs me tighter.

"I will, I promise." I whisper back. We stay like that until a peacekeeper throws open the door and yanks my father away for me. After the door slams, I collapse back on the couch, my face in my hands. I tell myself over and over again to be strong and not cry, but when I look at my hands, I see that they are wet with tears that had leaked out without my permission.

I stare unseeingly at the door for a few minutes, resigned to the fact that no one else will come to visit me. Of course they won't. Much to my surprise, the door opens tentatively, and Annie steps into the room. When she sees my face, she runs into my arms and starts sobbing.

"I'm so sorry Finnick. I didn't mean it, I really didn't. I just wasn't thinking! I'm so, so sorry!" I stop her babbling by awkwardly patting her back and whispering that everything will be ok soon. "Finnick, please try to win, I know you can." And to my surprise, she says something far wiser than you'd ever expect a ten-year-old to say. "Don't let them change you, Fin."

I smile into her hair. "I won't," I say in a rough voice, barely holding back tears. Just then, peacekeepers rush into the room and take her away from me. My breath comes in a gasp as the sound of the slamming door echoes around the room like a thunderclap. I won't let them change me, Annie. I will never let them change me. I will pretend to submit to their ways, but the capital will not destroy me, not ever.

A/n. I hope you liked this chapter! Please let me know what you think.

HouseOfNightMockingjay14


	5. Chapter 5

A/n. Hey again. I didn't get many reviews, but I thought I'd update anyway. Please tell me how I'm doing, and what I need to fix or improve on!

Disclaimer: This is the last time I'm writing a disclaimer, cause I think you all get the point. I don't own the hunger games!

Chapter 5

After sitting there, staring blankly at the door for about half an hour, it finally opens and the escort (I figured out that her name is Shine, seriously?) walks in and gives me a smile so large and bright, that I sware her face will split in two.

"Let's go Finnick! We have a big, big, big day ahead of us!" Shine exclaims in her annoying capital accent. I barely restrain myself from roling my eyes, and follow her out of the luxurious room.

Shine leads me out of the justice building where we meet Hanna, and we all continue on to the train.

The moment I step into the train, I see more food than I've ever seen in my life. Heaping plates of everything I can think of, from meats to desserts to salad cover a huge wooden table in the first car. To my astonishment, Shine just ignores the luxuries and briskly leads us to our rooms.

"You'll be on bord this train for one night. After that, you'll finally be in the Capital! Aren't you excited." She chatters insessantly, and I tune her out after awhile. When I finally get to my room, I do my best to make it look like I'm not trying to get rid of everyone.

"I'm showering." I explain and slam the door in their faces. I feel bad about doing that to Hanna, but Shine deserves it. What an idiote! She actually thinks that we will enjoy ourselves during our time in the Capital? Well, she's never been more wrong about anything in her entire life.

I shake my head. Thinking about how much I hate people won't help me come up with a strategy to win these rediculous games. I get in the shower, and see that a wall is covered with complex controls and buttons that I can't even begin to figure out. I just press random buttons, and end up getting blasted with freezing cold water that comes out in jets from all sides, and I probably get about a gallon of soap dumped on me. I grumble to myself as I jump out of the shower and get dressed in bluejeans and a shirt that I find in the drawer. Just then, I see something unusual in the pocket of my reaping shirt.

Curious, I pull it out and examine it. It appears to be a shell with a note atatched to it. The note reads:  
"Hey Fin,  
Good luck in the games. Please take this shell into the arena as a token. Just trust me, it's braught me luck before, so I hope it does the same for you. Again, best of luck, and come back safe.  
Your friend,  
Annie,"

A faint smile comes to my lips as I tuck the shell in my pocket. I know ther's no way for me to take the note into the arena, so I just look at it for a long moment before placing it on the dresser.

I make my way slowly down the halls toward the delectable smell of fresh food. Soon, I am standing in the doorway of the dining car. Several people sit around the table, already digging in. An old woman looks up and smiles at me.

"Hello, Finnick. Please do join us. I'm Mags." She says in a voice that's kind of hard to understand. I smile at her anyway, and sit next to her.

Most of the meal is spent with Mags explaining what different foods are, and what sauces go where, while Shine looks astonished and exclaims, "You poor dears! You don't know what hamburgers are? That's a shame." Mags just gives her dirty looks and ignores her.

After dinner, we all go into the sitting-room to watch the recaps of the reapings. The kids from districts one and two are the clasic careers, and the volunteering is complecated, as usual. District three's tributes look weak to me, and then there is district four. I see little Hanna walk up nurvously, and the following burst of applause. Then, I hear my name being called, and am relieved to see myself walk confidently onstage. The comintaters say something stupid about how hot I am. I haven't really thought about that before. Am I hot? I dismiss the thought as the program moves on to district five. None of the tributes really stick in my head after that, and Mags just shakes her head sadly as each one walks up.

"Not much compatition thiss year." She murmurs. "You both have a good chance of winning." She looks more at me than at Hanna, and I don't know what to say. I know that the odds are in my favor. I was trained at the academy from age eight on, and Hanna knows that. She's probably heard people talking about me. I tell Mags that I'm going to bed, and leave the room quickly without saying goodnight to anyone.

I sprint to my room and slam the door. After changing, I get into bed and just lay there, feeling the cool silk sheets. I feel sick, living in this much luxury while others starve to death. After tossing and turning in the large bed for about three hours, I decide to get up and watch some T.V. After some searching around, I find a blanket and drag it with me to the T.V. car.

To my surprise, I'm not the only one with this idea. Mags is sitting there, wrapped in a blanket and drinking some sort of hot brown liquid.

"It's hot chocolate. Want some?" She asks. I nod, and she calls for an avox and orders it for me. After it is given to me, I hold the hot chocolate, just thinking about what is to come. Finally, I take a drink. The warmth of it spreads from my throat down to my stomach. It makes me feel happy and maybe just a little safe.

For awhile, Mags and I just sit there in silence, watching the muted tv flicker from image to image. Finally, she speaks.

"Finnick, you know you're going to be the better one out of both of you, right?" I try to wipe the surprised expression from my face as I nod.

"I don't want to kill people, though." I say in a low voice. Mags nods.

"No, you're not that kind of person, but you're the best out of all of them. The careers, I mean. You have a heart, Finnick. Be as compassionate as you can, but do what you have to do." What mags tells me surprises me. I kind of thought she'd be all for killing and doing whatever it took to win. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't kill when you have to, just don't become a monster," She amends quickly.

"I don't want to become a monster," I tell her. She nods, and we go back to our silence. After watching the shadows from the tv dance on the walls for awhile, I stand up, grabbing my blanket.

I'm about to walk out when Mags says, "Your strategy will be easy to figure out, Finnick. I think you already know what it is." Wow, this old woman has like all the answers. I smile at her sleepily

"Thanks, Mags." I say, then leave the room. I climb into bed. I'll figure all this out. I have to, for Father and Annie.

A/n. Sorry for another filler chapter. I just really need ideas. I'm totally open to suggestions. Also, I have a question for you guys. Do you want me to update dayly with shorter chapters, or a couple times a week with long chapters? Thanks so much for reading!

HouseOfNightMockingjay14


	6. Chapter 6

A/n. Hi guys! Wow, thanks for all the reviews and follows, and for telling me the mistakes I'm making! I'll definitely work on spelling and grammar. Thanks again! Anyway, I really should stop babbling. Here's chapter six.

Chapter 6

I wake up to banging on my door. I groan and sit up.

"What?" I moan just loud enough for whoever is knocking to hear.

"Get up, Finnick! It's going to be a big, big, big day!" I barely hold back another moan. It's Shine who is being so annoying. How can she not realize how tired I am? I sigh and get out of bed, throwing on some random clothes that I find in the dresser. I glance at Annie's note once more before leaving my compartment.

When I arrive at the dining compartment, I am greeted with yet another impressive array of food. Platters of eggs, bacon, toast, and pretty much anything you could want for breakfast are arranged on the center table. I grin and hurry over, serving myself a heaping plate of just about everything.

"Hi, Finnick. Nice to see you too." Mags jokes as I finish off my food. I grin at her.

"Hey Mags. What's up?" I say, pretending to be as happy as Shine always is. Mags just roles her eyes at me, so I give it up and finish my food. An avox takes away my plate after I'm done. I look around for the first time at the people sitting with me at the table. Hanna looks nervous as ever, and eats quickly, without looking at anyone. Shine is smiling at everybody, attempting to keep the mood lighthearted. Mags just looks like her usual self, though, which comforts me slightly. Nothing really seems to phase the old woman.

Just as my thoughts start to wander, the room goes black. At first, I look around, panicking, thinking that something went terribly wrong with the train. Then, I remember that the Capital is on the other side of a large mountain range, and we must pass through a tunnel to get there. As I finish berating myself on my complete and utter stupidity, the impressive Capital comes into view. I run to the window to get a look. There are about ten thousand people all waving and screaming. What's more intimidating than them is the superficial way everything looks. The yellows and whites are almost to bright to look at, and the attire of the people is astonishing. People wear huge wigs of colors ranging from pink to purple. As I'm watching them, not really reacting at all, they begin to react to me. Some women in the crowd scream, while others even faint. It takes me a moment to realize why they're all looking at me like they want me or something. When I understand, the thought occurs to me that this could play a major part in my strategy. Mags had explained about trying to get sponsors so I am going to get started right away. I send some women flirty smiles and blow kisses to others. I can tell that the crowd is loving it by the way many of the girls have actually fainted over me. This lasts for another twenty minutes or so, then we pull into the train station. The whole building is actually painted silver, and it is teaming with Capital residence trying to get a look at this year's tributes.

I'm about to step off the train when Mags pulls me aside. "You knew what I meant." She tells me in a low voice so Hanna won't hear. "You already had a strategy planned. That means less work for me," Mags smiles and walks away. I don't think she could be more mysterious if she tried. I prepare myself for the Capital crowd as I step off the train.

The flash of camera lights blinds me as I make my way through the crowds. As we walk, women literally throw themselves at me. I'm extremely relieved that a squad of peacekeepers is escorting us to the remake center. This entire situation is just so awkward. I put on my act, smiling, flirting, blowing kisses and waving. The Capital citizens still seem to love it.

After walking through crowds for what seems like hours, we finally arrive at the remake center. I am led upstairs to a room where three oddly-dressed Capital people wait with tubs of wax and creams. I know what this is. It's the makeover that all tributes must endure.

Many hours later, I know exactly what it takes to make the tributes look as well-groomed as they are for any televised event before the actual games. I've been waxed, plucked, rubbed down, and soaked. After a final rub-down, a man from the prep team looks at me and says. "All done. You were very easy to work with, given your looks and all. This takes many more hours for most tributes." He looks at the other two members of the team, and they nod.

"We're going to get your stylist," a woman from the prep team explains. After they leave I sit there, my skin still tingling from all the torture it's been through today. Was it really necessary? I shake my head and remind myself that Capital people are about as far from normal and logical as people get.

Soon, my stylist marches into the room, looking me over like I'm a piece of meat at the market. "Yes," She says in a bored voice. I realize that she hasn't even told me her name. "I have the perfect look for you."

I discover exactly what she means when I'm dressed in an actual fishing net. There are masses of the net that cover private parts, but other than that, I'm naked. I feel humiliated even before I'm in the chariot. As she walks buy, Hanna gives me a look that clearly questions, "Seriously?" I glare at my hands as I climb aboard the chariot

"Get that frown off your face, Finnick! Remember to smile! They're going to love you!" Of course it's Shine, giving me encouragement from below. I do my best to smile at her, and she gives me a thumbs up. I'm thinking about how horrible this is all going to be when the door opens, and suddenly I am on live television.

A/n. I'm sorry to cut it off where I did, but it's 10:00 PM, and I'm really tired. This was just a short chapter to thank you all for the reviews, so sorry if it was too short. I forgot to include it in the top A/n, so I'll just say it here. A reviewer told me that Finnick's games weren't the sixty-eighth, but the sixty-fifth. (Thanks, by the way!) I'll do my best to go back and fix it. Thanks so much for letting me know what I need to fix or improve on! Please review with suggestions or constructive criticism. Thanks for reading!

HouseOfNightMockingjay14


	7. Chapter 7

A/n. Hi. Thanks for the follows! I got no reviews, but I decided to update anyway because I was bored. So anyway, here's chapter 7!

Chapter 7

The roar of thousands of screaming voices nearly deafens me as we role out onto the streets of the Capital. At first, I'm frozen, staring transfixed at the flashing of cameras and the oddly-dressed people. Then, I remember what I need to do. I have to win over the crowd, or I will most likely die. The crowd's screams rise in volume as I start waving, smiling, winking, and blowing kisses. People throw roses, and Hanna catches them. People blow me kisses, and I act like they are tangible things, catching them and blowing some back. This lasts for about twenty minutes, and then we are all lined up in a circle at the City's center.

I see the dreaded President Snow emerge from his mansion onto a balcony directly overhead. He addresses the cameras.

"Welcome Tributes to the sixty-fifth annual Hunger Games! We appreciate your courage and your sacrifice Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor." Snow finishes his speech and watches our chariots proceed into the training center with a slight sneer contorting his facial features. I look away from the evil man, and stare in awe at the training center. It is very large, and I can't imagine myself living there for the next week. The chariots pull in, and we all get off.

We all end up standing there awkwardly, analyzing the people around us. Soon, though, peacekeepers are pushing us toward the elevators. I catch many of the tributes giving me glares as the elevator doors close. Of course they hate me now. I took away all their sponsors. I allow myself a little smile, and hope for the best.

When the elevator stops on the fourth floor, I step out to encounter the most luxurious room I've ever seen. It is even nicer than the train, with a screen or electronic pad to control everything from food delivery to what is seen out the window. Shine is waiting for me, and she gives me a beaming smile.

"Oh Finnick! You're all people are talking about, you know that? You were absolutely perfect!" Shine goes on and on about how good-looking and perfect I was in the parade. I would like what she was telling me if it was coming from anyone but her. Well, maybe not anyone. All the Capital freaks are out of the question. I sigh and try to forget my stupid thoughts as I smile at Shine.

"I'm going to go put some clothes on," I say in a voice that I hope is calm and steady. I've forgotten how little I'm actually wearing, and now it's starting to embarrass me more than ever. Shine nods, and leads me down many decorated hallways to my room.

"I'll leave you to it, then. Shower, change, and be ready for dinner in an hour," Shine tells me briskly and walks away. I open my room door, and am astonished by the sight of it. Everything is so fancy! Every part of the room must be programmed and personalized with one setting or another, and the shower is even more complicated than it was on the train. I take off the fishing net, and take a little longer than I did on the train to study the buttons on the shower wall.

After a much nicer shower than I had on the train, I get changed into some comfortable clothes and make my way to the dining room. Everyone has already sat down and is eating ravenously. Mags smiles when I walk in.

"Hello, Finnick," She says, gesturing for me to sit down next to her. "Very nice job in the parade tonight." Mags tells me. Then, lowering her voice, she continues, "Many sponsors are considering you right now." Well, that's good to know. I nod at her, hoping that the simple gesture will express my thanks without me having to speak. I really don't want Hanna to feel like there's any favoritism going on.

Dinner takes at least an hour, and after it's over, we watch the recaps of the Opening Ceremonies. Everyone did well, and I can see that I'm getting more than my share of attention from the cameras. Though I'm glad I'll have the sponsors, seeing myself practically naked in front of all the Capital people puts me in a sour mood. I excuse myself and hurry to my room. I don't want to think about the way the other tributes were glaring at me. As a matter of fact, I don't want to think about anything at all. To fix my problem, I turn on the TV, and immediately wish I hadn't

A reporter is onscreen, talking about the possible victors of this year's games. "I wouldn't rule out Finnick Odair, either She says in a confident voice. "He's only fourteen, but he has looks and he comes from a district that trains their tributes for the games."

"Yes, most children from districts one, two, and four do very well in The Hunger Games. Let's take a look at some past successes, shall we," After the other commentator finishes giving an opinion, I turn off the TV. I know that they are going to show gory images from past hunger games. That's not exactly what I want to see right now. I sigh and role over.

To my surprise, I see Hanna standing in the doorway. I look at her, confused. "Finnick?" she asks tentatively, looking hesitant to come any further into my room.

"Yeah?" I ask her. I feel bad for her, mostly because a career could have volunteered to save a twelve-year-old, but didn't. All of them probably just want to watch her die. I feel sick, and suddenly want to help this little girl as much as I can. I don't know her, but she's in the same situation as me. "What's the matter?" I ask when it's clear she won't come any further into my room.

"I just, well," She looks scared, and I have a feeling I know why.

"Hanna, I'm not going to hurt you. Not here, not in the games. I know you've heard bad things about me, but I would never kill a twelve-year-old." I tell her, trying to get her to calm down. She gives me a weak, scared smile.

"I'm just so scared, Finnick." I can tell she's stalling, not really wanting to tell me what's really on her mind. Instead of waiting there all night, I just ask her.

"What's on your mind?" She looks relieved.

"I was wondering if you wanted to be allies?" I look at her for a second, then nod.

"After the careers turn on each other, I'll come and find you." I tell her and give her a little smile. "Friends?" I ask, but theirs a hanging afterthought that we can both feel. This won't last forever.

"Yeah, for now." She's not hostile as she speaks the words, she's just saying what we're both thinking. We shake hands, and that's that. We'll help each other as much as we can.

After she leaves, I'm not sure what to do. I can't sleep, that's for sure. The only thing I can really think to do is to go up to the roof. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to, but I don't really care. What can they do to me for relaxing on a roof?

I press the button for the roof, and wait for the elevator to ascend Once there, I exit the elevator and walk out onto the roof until I can see the lights of the Capital far below me. Tiny figures move in the streets. They look like they're dancing and laughing, and I suddenly know what the celebration is. It's the after party for the Opening Ceremonies. For awhile, I'm transfixed by the oddly bright and artificial colors. I just stand there for what seems like hours, watching and thinking. I don't want to kill people, and I never have. I have to win, though. Winning is the only thing I should be thinking about right now. The idea seems easy in theory, but in practice, it's harder than ever.

I remind myself that I have training in the morning, and head down to my floor, finally feeling drowsy. Once in my room, I climb in bed without even changing into pajamas. I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow.

A/n. I hope you liked this chapter. Please let me know what you think and what I need to fix. Thanks, as usual, for reading! Laters.

HouseOfNightMockingjay14


	8. Chapter 8

A/N. Hi guys! Thanks for the follows and reviews. Here's chapter eight.

Chapter 8

The darkness is suffocating. It stretches in every direction, only ending in an impenetrable wall that shimmers at the edges of my vision. Suddenly, forms take shape around me. Their eyes glow eerily yellow in the darkness. One of the shapes snarls, pulling back lips that reveal razor-sharp yellow teeth. I run. I run as fast as I can, but am only moving nightmarishly slow. The darkness stretches before me, and now obstacles are forming. trees and bushes appear out of nowhere, sending me sprawling. I keep running though, terrified of what would happen if I stopped. Without warning, a bush appears in my path, and I fall, my ankle twisting painfully underneath me. In that instant, the mutations have me surrounded, and are advancing slowly, as if I'm dead already. A split second before the leader of the pack rip, snarling, into my flesh, I awake with a gasp. Sitting up in bed, I look around the room I'm being forced to sleep in, trying to gather my thoughts. Only one thought dances around in my mind. That was my first nightmare caused by the games, and I haven't even entered the arena.

Still panting slightly, I glance at the clock beside my bed. It's 8:30 AM. Might as well get up and ready for training. Shaking slightly, I climb out of bed and jump in the shower. Once done, I get dressed and head to breakfast. To my surprise, everyone is already waiting at the table, talking in hushed voices.

"Hey," I exclaim, trying to pretend that I'm not wondering what's being discussed. Hanna gives me a little wave, while Mags smiles.

"We're just trying to come up with a strategy for training," Mags explains to me. "Are you interested in joining the career alliance?" I nod, but Hanna shakes her head.

"Not me. They definitely don't want me. I have no useful skills at all." Hanna explains. Mags nods and smiles in understanding.

"Also, would you two like to be trained together or separately?" Mags asks. We both shrug.

"Doesn't matter," I say, and Hanna nods in agreement.

By the time we're all done talking strategy, it's 9:45, and Shine is hurrying us to get ready for training because this is, "Just such a big, big, big day for you both!" Yeah right.

After arriving at the training center, I see that the competition isn't that fierce this year. Aside from the tributes from districts one and two, all the other tributes look weak and scared. As I'm looking at them, they actually flinch and take a couple steps back. My heart sinks as I remember that I'll have to kill them to get home to Father and Annie. We all stand in a circle and the head trainer tells us that twenty-three of us will be dead within two weeks, so we should use the next three days learning survival skills. We all know this, of course, but I can tell that some of the tributes from outlying districts are hanging on to her every word like the words themselves will keep them alive. After we are dismissed to start training, I look around at all the stations. I don't really feel like showing off like the tributes from one and two who are already slicing targets and dummies into ribbons with long swords. The smirks on their faces look practiced and easy. I know I can do the same thing with a trident, I've been doing it since I was eight. I smile to myself as another piece of my strategy falls into place. I go over to the snares station, the half smile still playing on my face.

Annie POV

When Fin's name is called at the reaping, I am shocked. How could I do this? Yell at my friend the night before he is sentenced to death? Sentenced to death. That thought brings me up short. I saw him yesterday, bragging about all his successes to his fellow careers. He has a better chance than anyone of winning these games. Now that I'm really listening to the Games gossip, I'm hearing his name mentioned in almost every conversation. "Yes, Finnick Odair. I've heard he's really good. Did you get a chance to get a look at him? Gorgeous, isn't he?" I can't believe I didn't listen earlier. Now that he is walking up to the stage, the whispers begin, and they're much the same.

I watch him as he walks. I've only known him for a couple months, but I can tell that he's faking every smirk and gloating comment. Why hadn't I noticed it yesterday? Tears prick my eyes as I watch him mount the steps. Soon, I'm watching through a misty fog that blocks out the rest of the world. One question bounces around in my brain, echoing, whispering, screaming. Why?

After Finnick and the girl tribute- I don't remember her name right now. Hanna or Lana or something like that- enter the justice building, I approach a peacekeeper.

"May I visit Finnick Odair?" I ask, my voice trembling. I don't think I've ever talked to a peacekeeper before, and I've got to say, it scares me. He nods curtly and grabs my arm, half dragging me after him. We enter the justice building. The peacekeeper leads me up stairs and down hallways, and we stop at a closed door.

"Wait here until the current visitor leaves," He barks at me before leaving. I stand there for what seems like hours, but is only a few minutes, staring at the door and thinking. What do I say? "Listen, Finnick. I'm sorry for thinking that you enjoy killing people. Friends?" I let out a huff of frustration just as the door opens. Finnick's father walks out and gives me a small smile.

He closes the door behind him and asks, "Can we talk for a second, Annie?" I nod, and he looks at me for a long moment. I cock my head, wondering what he's staring at. "He'll be okay, you know."

"I have no doubt about it," I say and give him a little, tight smile. He nods, and not quite knowing what to say, walks off. Before he turns his back, I catch a glimpse of wetness on his cheeks. I look away.

When I open the door, Finnick is sitting there, face in his hands. He looks up and sees me. His eyes swim with sadness and regret. I run over and hug him, saying "I'm sorry," over and over again. As he's hugging me, I slip a shell with a note attached to it in his shirt pocket. I'd found this shell sinking to the bottom of the ocean the day Finnick had saved me. It had brought me life, so I hope it would do the same for Finnick. The three minutes pass quickly, and I'm dragged out of the room with the promise he made to me still ringing in my ears.

Days later, I'm watching him at the Opening Ceremonies. I can't believe the way his team dressed him. He's practically naked! I watch as Capital women blow kisses, scream, and even faint at the sight of Finnick Odair. I also watch Finnick himself. He plays the part perfectly, blowing kisses and returning the crowd's winks. I have no doubt about it. He's a serious contender in these games. He may even win.

A/N. Thanks for reading! Please review. They make me so happy! Love you guys.

HouseOfNightMockingjay14 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N. Hey. Thanks for the follows and review! Enjoy chapter nine!

Chapter 9

Finnick POV

The first day of training had gone without a hitch. I had easily hidden my strengths from the other tributes, and now part two of my strategy is going to be put in to action tomorrow. I fall asleep, still feeling satisfied by a day well spent.

When I wake, Shine is banging on my door, telling me that today is going to be another big, big, big day! I repeat the same routine as yesterday. I eat breakfast quicker than usual, though. I have to get down to training early. Mags is puzzled by my hurry, but she doesn't confront me about it. As soon as my plate is clear, I hurry toward the elevator and slam my hand on the button. When the doors slide open, I jump in and press the "TC," button. The elevator shoots downward. I peer through the glass walls, watching the city grow closer and closer, then finally disappear above me as the elevator moves underground. It finally stops, and I emerge

As I suspected, the careers are already up and training. When they see me, some of them start chuckling. I ignore them and make my way over to the tridents station. The tridents station is in a secluded area of the gym because of it's lack of use. Naturally, tributes from my district would probably be the only ones using it, where as the swords and spears stations are more populated. My eyes roam over the rack of tridents. They all look to be in much better condition than the ones I trained with. I pick one that seems to mostly resemble the weapon I learned with, and get to work slicing dummies.

When I'm finished all the careers are staring at me in awe. I'm slightly surprised by this. I honestly hadn't shown much skill. I know I can do much better than what I just accomplished. I appraise them for a moment before throwing the trident back on it's rack. Smirking, I go over to the weightlifting station.

The rest of training isn't that eventful. I try to help Hanna learn some basic survival skills, and she seems to be doing well. She knows much more about knot tying and snare-making than I thought she would.

"My family makes the nets," She explains to me. It takes me a moment, but then I remember that some of the richer fishermen in my district could afford to buy nets instead of making there own crude ones. I nod.

"That explains it," I say, and leave it at that.

At 5 o'clock, we are all ushered out of the training center.

"You nervous for your private session tomorrow?" Hanna asks me. She looks pretty nervous herself. I shrug.

"Kind of. Do you know what you're going to do?" I ask her. She shrugs and shakes her head.

"No idea," she sighs. We don't speak for the rest of that night. I think we're both beginning to realize the severity of our situation. In three days, we're going to be thrown in to an arena to kill one another. I can kill the other tributes, I have to kill them, but I can't kill Hanna.

The next day dawns clear and sunny, reminding me tauntingly of mornings in four. I get up and dress, feeling my first real pang of homesickness since arriving at the Capital. As I shower, I run through my strategy for the private sessions. I think I have it mostly figured out, which makes me feel slightly better about this whole situation.

Breakfast passes far too quickly for my liking. The usual mounds of food are placed in front of us, and I eat mechanically, not really tasting anything. Even Shine seems subdued this morning, but I have a feeling she's more worried about not having a victor than our actual well-being. Mags doesn't say much either.

I'm almost relieved when breakfast ends and Shine escorts us to the elevator. Mags looks at us and says, "Show them what you can do." She seems to be encouraging us, so I smile and enter the elevator with Shine and Hanna.

When we get down to the training center, all the tributes are being herded to a side room to wait their turn for the private sessions with the gamemakers. We join them after Shine wishes us luck.

Hanna and I only have to wait an hour or so until it's our turn. Hanna leaves first, and I can't help wondering what she's doing. I worry about her because of her lack of an actual strength. All I can do is hope that her score is high. I really need to focus on myself for now.

When the peacekeeper calls my name, I enter the gym on shaking legs. I smile at the gamemakers seated in a section raised above the gym floor. I walk over to the snares station. My mind is whirling. How will I trap a dummy in a fishing net? With my mind still spinning around the question, I get to work making a net as fast as I can. It is complicated work. The net has to be fitting for the task at hand, but I only have fifteen minutes. Eventually, I have a net that is large enough for a person to get trapped in. I pull the net over behind a dummy and set the trap. In the games, my strategy will be different, but for now I just have to show the gamemakers what I can do. After the net is strategically positioned I grab a knife and a trident. I jog over to one end of the gym. Making sure my angle is correct, I run toward the dummy as fast as I can. I throw the knife just so. The dummy is knocked backward, falling into the net with a soft thump. Instantly, the trap closes, and more net comes down on the dummy In seconds, the trident is airborne hurtling toward the dummies chest. It lands with a satisfying thud, right on target. I grin at the gamemakers before strutting away. All they want is a good show. Well, they're going to get what they want, that's for sure. I smile to myself as the elevator ascends. I know I will be a fierce opponent in these games.

Annie POV

My mother, father, and I settle in before the television to watch the tribute's training scores. My stomach twists with worry. I really hope Fin did well. The scores are shown underneath a picture of the tribute to which they are given, so it doesn't take long for district four to flash on the screen. I see Finnick's picture flash, followed by the number ten. I almost laugh with relief. He got a higher score than most of the careers, who ended up with eights and nines this year. The girl tribute, Hanna, gets a seven. I sigh with relief. District four will do well this year, especially Finnick Odair.

Finnick POV

A ten? I was half-expecting that high of a number, but part of me was doubting that I would receive it. It's a relief to have gotten a higher score than most of the careers. I think the only other person who got a ten was the monstrous boy from one. Most of the other districts were not unusual. The scores for those tributes probably ranged from threes to sixes. I smile and tell my team that I'm going to bed.

I crawl beneath the silk sheets and let out a relieved breath. I know I'll probably be the victor of these games. The only person that's really stopping me is Hanna. I don't know her, but she's only twelve, and it just feels wrong to kill someone who has no real defence. Well, it feels wrong to kill anyone in the first place, but it makes me even sicker to think of killing a defenceless twelve-year-old. At least we're in an alliance, for now. I let the thoughts drift around in my head before falling into a sort of semiconscious state between sleeping and waking.

A/N. I know this isn't my best work at all, sorry! And sorry about the shortness of the chapter. If I update daily, they probably won't be too long. Let me know if you want weekly or daily updates. If I do update weekly, the chapters will be longer. Please review and tell me what you'd like to see or have me fix! Thanks for reading!

HouseOfNightMockingjay14 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N. You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for the favorites and reviews! You make my day. Here's chapter ten, finally!

Chapter 10

Finnick POV

The next morning dawns just as bright as the day before. Today is the day to prep for the interviews which will be tomorrow evening. I feel a twinge of nervousness at the thought of being on camera with the whole world watching. I lay there for awhile, considering my angle and what I can do to get sponsors at the interviews. After some thought, I decide to talk to Mags about it.

Stretching, I slide out of the luxurious bed. After dressing, I hurry out to the Living room. I stop in my tracks when I see Mags and Hanna sitting on the couch together. Hanna's eyes are brimming with tears, and Mags looks frazzled.

"I need your help, Hanna," Mags says. "You need to help me help you come up with an angle for your interview," Mags is trying to talk calmly and with assurance, but Hanna doesn't seem to be listening.

"I don't know! I just don't know!" Hanna exclaims, her voice rising hysterically. "He's going to win, I know he is! He has the training and the looks! I don't have anything!" Of course she's talking about me. Why is she scared of me, though? I told her I'd come find her and protect her until... Well...

"He told you he is going to help you," Mags tells Hanna. "What you think about yourself isn't true. A seven is a very good score for someone your age,"

"No!" Hanna shouts, her voice breaking somewhere in the mittle of the word. "That's not true! It's a horrible score, and you know it! You don't care about me, you only want him to win! I know he's going to kill me, I just know it! I'm going to die, and you couldn't care less!" Mags looks shocked.

"That's not true," She tries to defend herself. Hanna won't hear of it, though. Before I can even register what's happening, she's up and running out of the room, straight toward me. I dive in to a side room, feeling terrible for eavesdropping, but what could I have done? To my surprise, I don't know.

Questions bounce around in my mind too quickly to grasp them. It takes me a good five minutes to get my thoughts together, but when I do, it's no less of a challenge to think. Most of the tributes are probably intimidated by me because of the ten I received in training. I also admit to myself that my looks are playing a major part in the intimidation factor. Sponsors like to see talent, but it helps if you're good-looking as well as talented. I wonder what Annie thinks of this so far? Annie. Her name brings me up short. I know she has forgiven me because she apologized, but what does she think of my training score? I hope she has faith in me. I shoot a quick glance in both directions before practically sprinting to my room.

I pick up the shell that Annie gave me on reaping day and examine it. Upon closer inspection, it is very beautiful. Gold specks are trapped in the sand-white of the shell, making the shell shimmer with inner light. Now that I'm looking closer, I see that the shell is ever so slightly formed in the shape of a heart. The discovery makes me truly smile for the first time sense the reaping.

We all eat lunch together. Hanna avoids my eyes for the entire meal, shooting half-hearted glares at Mags from time to time. I watch her out of the corner of my eye, and occasionally see a tear slip from her eyes. She wipes it away quickly before anyone else can notice. I wish I could comfort her, but then I'd have to admit to hearing her conversation with Mags. Mags herself looks strangely defeated. I look at her for a long moment before she meets my eyes. I raise my eyebrows at her and she shrugs.

Lunch finally ends. Hanna storms off to her room, and Mags motions for me to follow her to the living room.

"I think I already know what your angle is going to be." Mags says quietly. Her face is slightly pale and drawn which looks unfamiliar on her. I nod, knowing what's coming next.

"Sexy?" I ask. Mags gives me a sad smile, but nods.

"Yes, Finnick. Sexy, witty, and charming. The audience will absolutely love you."

"I can do that," I say, and the conversation is over. I stand up and make my way to the door.

"Finnick?" Mags asks, hesitation in her voice.

"Yeah?" I ask, confused at the hesitation.

"You will protect Hanna, right?" She asks, looking at me pleadingly. "We both know that the odds are not in her favor, but,"

"I was already going to protect her." I say, interrupting her. Mags lets out an audible sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Finnick." I grin and nod.

"Anytime," I say, and leave the room.

The next morning, my prep team is already in my room, setting up.

"Hello, Finnick!" One of the oddly-dressed Capital women exclaims. "You're lucky, it won't take us long at all to get you ready for today's interviews. You look so gorgeous already, you know?" I smile and pretend to agree with every word that comes out of her mouth.

The woman is right. It only takes about two hours to get prepped. My prep team dresses me in a sort of casual suit, if it can be called that. The outfit highlights the features of my face and the muscles on my body. They only use the tiniest bit of makeup to cover up some slight scaring I recieved from training years ago.

The team squeals with delight when they're done dressing me.

"Don't you look wunderful!" The same woman gushes. She seems to be the talker of the group. I smile along with them, the first tendrils of nerves creeping in to my stomach.

After I'm dressed, shine talks to me about all the tips and tricks I can use to make the Capital love me. I don't pay much attention because I think the whole thing is ridiculous and pointless. I already know how to act.

We make our way down to the stage set up outside of the training center. I notice that Hanna looks pretty in a sparkling blue dress meant to represent the ocean. Everyone is already lined up backstage when we arrive. I notice all the female tributes turn to stare at me. I just give them a smirk and take my place in line. If tributes like what they see, the women of the Capital will be even more impressed.

Districts one, two, and three pass by quickly. The careers are cocky and arrogant as usual, bragging about their scores in training and how long they had spent training before volunteering for the games. The district three tributes are weak and nervous as to be expected. They seem to have no skills at all. The sponsors seem to be most interested in the boy from one so far. He is the cockiest out of the career pack, and his looks aren't to bad either. He looks like he could easily have the most sponsors. I smile to myself. Not if I had anything to say about it.

Hanna's interview goes well. She plays her part as shy and humble very well. Most of the audience probably can't tell that she has no particular skills.

Before I know it, it's my turn. The spotlights almost blind me as I walk confidently onstage. The shrill screams from the audience inform me that yes, the women of the capital do love my looks. I smile at Caesar Flickerman as I sit across from him in the interview chair.

"Well Hello, Finnick Odair! Don't you look nice?" Caesar asks. The crowd screams and shouts in agreement. I smile and shrug, pretending that I don't know how nice I look. This sets off another wave of screaming from the audience. "So Finnick," Caesar asks, settling into the interview with casual interest. "How are you liking the Capital?" All I want to do is scream insults at him for asking. What does he think I'm going to say?

"I love it! It's so beautiful!" I tell Caesar, smiling all the while.

The rest of the interview goes by quickly. Caesar asks questions about my life back in district four, and many other basic things that I can easily answer. While I answer, I smile and wink at certain people in the audience, hoping I'm convincing enough. Every once in awhile, I glance over at the first couple rows reserved for sponsors only. Almost all of them are smiling at me. A flame of hope rises in my chest. Maybe I'll get lucky with more than the average amount of sponsors.

Caesar finishes the interview by wishing me luck. He seems sinsere when he tells me that he hopes to see me on this stage as a victor. I grin and promise him that he will. The confidence in my voice surprises me, but I'm glad it's there.

I exit the stage, and shine is waiting for me. She squeals and congratulates me on a job well done. I nod, too relieved to really do anything else. Mags nods at me and gives me a thumbs up before returning her attention to the other tributes. I go upstairs to our apartment and switch on the TV to watch the rest of the interviews. There really isn't much to say about the other tributes, as per usual. I find myself rather annoyed that there isn't much competition this year. Before the interviews are even over, I turn off the TV, and get into bed.

How ever hard I try, I can't shut off my brain. Tomorrow, the Hunger Games begin.

A/N. Sorry for the lame ending. I kind of had to end it there because the games start next chapter! Please review and tell me what you'd like to see! As usual, thanks for continuing to read.

HouseOfNightMockingjay14 


	11. Chapter 11

A/N. Hey Guys. I'm kinda disappointed because I got no reviews for this chapter, but we've hit 600 views, which is pretty awesome. By the way, I'm really sorry it's taking me so long to get to Finnick and Annie's romance. I just need to get through Finnick's games, which will go fast. In the books, Katniss talks about Finnick's games ending quickly, so that's what I'm gunna do. The games actually begin in this chapter, finally! enjoy!

Chapter 11

I am awoken by Mags shaking me gently. Early morning light filters softly through my large window, giving me a false sense of peace and safety.

"It's time," Mags tells me, her face as pale as the white silk sheets I'm covered with. Mags leads me to the roof where a hovercraft waits to transport the tributes to the arena. As soon as I'm on board, a peacekeeper inserts a long needle into my forearm.

"Your tracker," He explains shortly. I stare at the place where the needle had injected a little device into my skin. A bump is already rising on my skin. This tracker will detect where I am at all times. It can also notify the gamemakers of my death. I let out a shaky breath as the windows of the Hovercraft are closed. The Capital is not disclosing the arena's location. Well, at least there's nothing new in these games.

THE ride is short, and before I know it, the hovercraft touches down, and we all exit into the catacombs. My stylist- she still hasn't told me her name- leads me to my launch room and helps me dress in the outfit I'll be wearing. The outfit is perfectly fitted and light. It seems to be able to only protect against the lightest of chills. This worries me, but I decide to push it out of my mind until I rise into the arena. The shoes look sturdy, which is a good thing. I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of running in them during my time in the arena.

Just as I'm pulling on my left shoe, a robotic female voice announces "Thirty seconds." My breath begins to quicken. Panic threatens to close my throat. The unnamed stylist looks at me and the corners of her lips tilt almost imperceptibly upward.

"May the odds be ever in your favor," she tells me briskly before patting my shoulder and leaving the room. I step into the tube and stare after her, perplexed. It doesn't seem right to leave anyone alone in a room right before the games begin. It just gives me more time to think.

I think that the careers will be my best bet in the arena, if I want to survive. I haven't formally asked them about an alliance, but it seems likely that they'll accept me, given that I'm one of the two tributes who scored a ten this year. But what do I do after tensions begin to rise? I ponder going at it alone until the final two, but then remember Hanna. Breaking that promise would be more than cruel. But what then? After I form an alliance with Hanna, what happens? Do I just wait to kill her, or wait for someone else to? My head begins to spin rapidly again, going over possible answers to my many questions.

I think for a while longer, not coming up with any real solutions. Before I can begin to fully panic about my predicament, the tube begins to rise.

The metal plate rises for what seems like hours. I'm surrounded by whiteness for awhile before this year's arena comes into sight. I am surrounded by forest on all sides. The only real clearing that I can see so far is the one containing the circle of tributes and the cornucopia. I glance at the huge metal cornucopia and see it brimming with weapons. Of course, right in the center of the pile of weapons is my trident. I stare at it for a long moment before I register the clock ticking down our sixty seconds.

Thirty.

What do I do? I don't want to kill anyone.

Twenty-nine.

I can't kill Hanna.

Twenty-eight.

I should go straight for the cornucopia. I know I can run fast, and I need that trident.

Twenty-five.

I spot a coil of rope, just the right kind to make nets, resting next to the cornucopia.

Twenty-two.

I need that to survive.

Twenty-one, twenty.

I can't.

Eighteen.

I must.

Fifteen.

I can do it.

Fourteen.

I look around at the forest surrounding me. No chance of survival there without supplies.

Ten.

I glance around me at the careers, and find them watching me.

Nine.

I know what I have to do.

Six.

I will do it.

Five.

I prepare myself to run.

Four, three, two.

I silently say good-bye to father and Annie.

One.

I run. I run as fast as I can toward the weapons. I'm the first one to get to the pile and I quickly grab the trident, rope, and a backpack I see lying next to me. Tributes are running now, and I throw without thinking. Turning back to the pile, I see slight glimmers and find them to be tridents as well. I'm not thinking, I'm throwing. One, two, three, four... On and on I throw. Finally, I'm sweating too heavily to throw anymore, and there are no more tributes in sight. I lean against the metal side of the cornucopia and survey the area. The careers are nowhere in sight. I look more closely at the bodies around me, and see all four careers among them. My stomach heaves as I realize that I killed all the people in the clearing around me. I killed all of them. I killed as ruthlessly as a career from one or two. My stomach roles again as I glance around at the bodies surrounding me. What have I done? What kind of a monster have I become?

A/N. I know, I know. Short chapter. I'm just disappointed in not getting reviews. The more reviews I get, the more I write. Thanks so much for reading, guys! Please review!

HouseOfNightMockingjay14 


	12. Chapter 12

A/N. Hey again. I'm soo sorry I haven't updated. My computer broke down and I've had a few crappy days, so again, sorry! Here's chapter twelve. Enjoy!

Chapter 12

I make my way into the forest to give the hovercrafts room to collect the ten tributes I'd killed. I'm still numb with shock, but I force myself to think about this objectively. Now that ten tributes are out of the way, I only have thirteen to kill until the end of the games. The thirteen tributes who escaped probably only managed to grab a few supplies before running off into the dense forest. I now have all the supplies I could want which is an advantage I wasn't expecting. I probably have most of the sponsors, too. I imagine that the bloodthirsty Capital citizens loved the performance I gave at the bloodbath. Another unexpected improvement to my situation.

I watch the hovercrafts dip and rise, weaving among the trees. Each time, they carry a body adorned with an obviously fatal wound. A sense of grim satisfaction creeps over me. "Less competition is a good thing," I mutter, trying to reassure myself.

The sun sets, illuminating the silhouettes of the last few hovercrafts as they fly up and out of the arena. I know I can't do much before the light fades, so I get to work quickly. I begin sorting the supplies into piles. The swords and spears are probably going to be useless to me, so I put them off to the side. There are quite a few tridents in the cornucopia this year. There are so many, that they actually form a pile of their own. Their seems to be plenty of food and water. Probably enough to last at least a couple weeks. Other supplies include body armor, extra arena outfits, rope for nets and traps, and medical supplies. A surge of confidence overwhelms me as I survey the supplies before me. Usually, they would have to be divided between at least four careers, but for only one person, they definitely surpass my needs.

As I settle down, I decide that I should only make a small fire and extinguish it when the anthem begins. At least for now, I can count on the fact that most tributes probably ran too fast to see that I'd killed the careers. With the small fire crackling, I settle down with the coil of rope and some knives to begin creating the traps and nets that will help- or even possibly secure- my victory.

I fall into the monotonous pattern of net-making, paying as much attention as I can to the surroundings as I work. Most tributes are probably staying far away from the cornucopia, which is good for me. Eventually, I start to drift off, the familiar task of creating nets lulling me into a false sense of security.

The beginning of the anthem jolts me out of a doze, and I groggily turn my attention to the sky. The career's images are projected first, followed by the boy from three, both from five, the boy from seven and both tributes from twelve. I'm relieved that Hanna made it out alive. The anthem ends, and I quickly extinguish the fire. Now people know that there are no more careers besides me this year.

The sky is now completely dark, so I lay down the net I'd been working on and role out a sleeping bag just inside the opening of the cornucopia. I lay there for awhile, almost wishing that I hadn't killed all of the careers. It would be nice to have company, and even more nice to have someone to help with the watch.

I alternate between dozing and scanning the surrounding area, listening for any unfamiliar sounds. So far, nothing seems unusual. When I do sleep, my dreams are fitful. I see myself throwing the trident into the same girl over and over again. She had dark hair and beautiful eyes. Upon closer inspection, I realize the person who I'm killing over and over again is Annie.

I sit up, barely choking back a scream. Still trapped in my nightmare, I look around desperately for Annie. Terror creeps up from my stomach, squeezing my throat. No, no, no! Did I really kill Annie? I can't believe I would do such a thing.

I leap up, running into the forest, searching frantically for the little girl. The sound of a cannon firing pulls me from my trance-like state. I shake my head violently, trying to clear it of the grotesque images that haunt me now that I've killed people. I press my back against a tree and slide down it, feeling the bark scrape against my neck. I'd been wrong, wrong about everything. I'd been wrong to think that the games wouldn't change me. Of course they would. I'd become a killing machine, someone who killed to survive. The main rule in the arena is kill or be killed, and I must follow that rule. I inhale shakily, showing my last sign of weakness to Panam. I am going to win the sixty-fifth hunger games, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get out of this arena alive

I walk slowly back to the cornucopia. The black sky is turning faintly gray with the approach of dawn. I might as well stay awake for today. There's no way I'm going to get any more sleep tonight. I decide to finish the traps before dawn. The gray sky provides just enough light to see what is in front of my face. I collect the knives I need, and get to work.

By the time I'm done, the sky has changed from gray to a rosy pink, and the glow of the rising sun is lighting the eastern sky. I stand up and pack all the traps into a large bag that used to contain food. I pack some food into a small backpack, and add some medical supplies just in case. Today is the day that I'm going to put my plan into action.

Annie POV

It is the second day of the games. I'm astonished at Finnick's brutality so far. He killed ten people without even flinching. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, though. He is a career. The sky has lightened with the usual district four sunlight. I jump out of bed, not even bothering to get into clothes other than my pajamas, and hurry into the family room. Plopping down on the threadbare couch, I turn on our battered Tv set. Of course, every channel is playing The Hunger Games, so it's not hard at all to get an update. Two serious faced commentators sit at a desk, both staring straight into the camera.

"Yes, Finnick Odair is surprising us all!" The female of the two says in her high-pitched capital accent. The male nods sagely.

"Indeed he is. Only fourteen, and already taken out twelve tributes. There has only been one death not caused by young Finnick Odair." The man says, glancing at the papers in front of him.

"Do you think it's safe to say that he could be a possible victor?" The woman asks, her voice rising even more with excitement.

"Oh yes. He's definitely a possibility given the fact that he eliminated the careers before they even reached the cornucopia. If Finnick does succeed, he will be the youngest Hunger Games victor in history!" The male commentator looks intensely into the camera. "For those of you who don't know, Finnick Odair's sponsor count has risen from three thousand to ten thousand over night."

"Well, we all know why," The woman says perkily. I sigh, already knowing the answer. "He is absolutely gorgeous, isn't he?" The man nods enthusiastically.

"Let's take a look at the last couple hours, just in case you missed them. It's our job to keep you up to date, here on Hunger Games Today!" I switch off the TV and crumple into the couch. I knew Finnick would do this. It was inevitable. At least he'll probably make it home soon.

A/N. Hope you guys liked it! Please review! I'm completely open to suggestions, so let me know what you want to see! Thanks for reading!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N. Hey Again! Two chapters in one day! Hope you enjoy, and again, I'm open to suggestions!

Chapter Thirteen

Finnick's POV

The next few days pass in a blur of net-making and planning. I have to strategically plan out where I'm going to set the traps. If I don't they'll be absolutely useless to me. The good thing is that sponsors are practically drowning me in parachutes. They send me more rope when I run out, food and water when I'm out away from the cornucopia, and new knives when they break or get damaged. I definitely can't complain.

On the fourth day of the games, the gamemakers even decide to aid me in my quest to victory. I'm hanging a particularly large net that is nearly invisible against the backdrop of the forest. Yes, the sponsors are even sending camouflage rope. This net is set to catch any tributes running by. I'd chosen this location because I'd been observing several tributes for the last couple days, and they seemed to walk past this spot often. Just as I finish setting the trap, I see something black in the distance. It covers the afternoon sun, plunging the arena into the elution of twilight. I curse under my breath. Turning, I start to trudge back to the Cornucopia. As I walk, a parachute dings on it's descent to the forest floor. I catch it, opening it and inspecting the contents. A flashlight lays on the parachute. It looks durable and powerful, but I know I have several just like it back at the cornucopia. Why do people keep sending me gifts that are unnecessary. I examine the flashlight closer and see a note. It reads:

Finnick,  
Keep doing what you're doing. They love you.

M

I toss the note away and smile up at the sky.

"Thank you," I whisper.

I turn back to look at where the sun had been, and gasp. The entire western sky had been covered by the darkness. As I watch, transfixed, it creeps closer and closer toward me. I strain my ears, hoping I can detect any sound from out of the darkness. What I do hear chills me to the bone. The Melancholy howls of mutations sound from the blackness. The howls are followed by screams. My eyes are glued to the scene before me. I'm pretty sure that the strange blackness has covered about half the arena now. There must be some tributes caught in it. The blackness is so impenetrable that I can't even make out shadows within it's depths. Suddenly, a chill runs through me and I am reminded of my dream. In the dream, though, I had been the prey. This time, I'm certain that I am the predator.

Just as I'm coming to this realization, a tribute comes sprinting from the blackness, straight into the net I'd tied between the trees. The trap springs successfully. The net unfolds from back on itself, and wraps around the tribute, yanking her into the air. Before she can even scream, a trident is flying through the air. The thud of the trident meeting flesh is closely followed by the boom of a cannon. I approach the body, curious to see how much competition I have left. As soon as I catch sight of the body, I freeze. The trident is poking from her chest, still trembling from the force of my throw. Her body is dangling helpless and lifeless from the net. Her face is frozen in an expression of terror mixed with surprise. I take one last look at the body, and I run. I run because I can't believe what I've done. I run because I now hate myself more than I've ever hated the capital. I run because I'd broken the only promise I'd made to someone in a very long time. I run because without a second thought, I'd killed Hanna.

I skid to a stop as soon as I reach the cornucopia. Pulling myself together just enough to remember the sponsors I could loose by getting worked up over a death, I grin at the cameras.

(Seventeen down, six to go," I mutter to myself loud enough for the cameras to hear me. I fist pump, and easily conger a yawn. Crawling into my sleeping bag, I zip the top of the bag over my head, and cover my head with a jacket just in case there are cameras inside the sleeping bag. It might seem like I'm paranoid, but I wouldn't put it past President Snow.

For a while, I just lay there, the jacket covering my face. I'm to exhausted to force any emotions to come to the surface. I just lay there for awhile. I don't realize I'm crying until I peel the now wet jacket from my face. I'm disgusted with myself for breaking the only promise I'd made to that little twelve-year-old girl. The arena has changed me. It's changed me into a person who doesn't mind killing to survive. Worse than that, it's changed me into a person who doesn't care about who he kills. At least I don't have anything to worry about now. Now that I've made the mistake I'd feared I'd make, my life is actually easier. I will have a much easier time of winning the games, but I don't think I'll ever get rid of the guilty feeling ripping a hole inside my chest.

A/N. Sorry about the short chapter. Please review, and thanks for reading! 


	14. Chapter 14

A/N. I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long! Here's Chapter 14.

Chapter 14

When I finally do crawl out of the sleeping bag, dawn light is filtering softly through the trees, only illuminating the faintest shadows of branches overhead. I stretch and try to forget the guilty feeling still burning in my chest. I can't let emotions overtake me until I win the games. Winning looks pretty easy now, seeing as their are only six tributes left in the games. I have a feeling that my last day in the arena is approaching fast. Weather that last day will find me dead or alive depends entirely on my actions during the next few hours. The gamemakers helped me once, but I doubt they will help me again. They will probably make it much more impossible to easily trap and kill tributes.

Before my mind can analyze the rest of the games in too much detail, I jog into the cornucopia and begin counting the remaining supplies. I have just enough ropes and tridents for five or six tributes. I know that if I run out, sponsors will gladly send more than I need.

I push any thought of a strategy to the back of my mind, and let my instincts take over. All I can do right now is to expect the unexpected and do my best to prepare for it. This is The Hunger Games, after all. The sun is scorching hot on my back as I set out with newly-made traps and nets. Catching tributes will be much harder now that their are only six remaining.

Hours pass. The only thoughts that enter my mind are centered around self-preservation. Boom! Boom! Boom! Cannons fire repeatedly as the after blends into night, which blends yet again into early dawn. I set traps, wait, throw, then boom! Only two more tributes to kill, now one. Before I can go looking for the last tribute, the gamemakers decide to make it hard for me. They have trapped me in the same blackness Hanna in before I ended her life. A stab of fear shivers through me as I realize that my nightmare is now a horrifying reality.

Gleaming yellow eyes follow me through the darkness. A terrified scream builds inside me, clawing at my throat. Despite all efforts, I can't stop the scream that bursts from my throat and tears into the endless blackness. What do I do now? My head is reeling, trying to come up with possible plans of action. The only one that seems to make sense is to run. I stumble my way there the smothering darkness, groping blindly ahead with outstretched hands that shake violently and sweat. Hours and hours pass. Each second is pure agony. Mutts have begun to tear into my flesh, biting, clawing, and howling. I run, and when I can no longer run, I crawl.

Hours later, The darkness is beginning to lighten. "Of course it is," I think bitterly. The Capital is growing tired of watching me suffer, and now they are ready for the finale of the sixty-fifth hunger games. Despite the agonizing pain that is ripping its way through my body, I breathe a quiet sigh of relief. Out of the corner of my eye, I can vaguely see the mutts tumbling into a hole several meters away. The hole closes behind them, and I am finally alone in the arena once more.

I don't realize I've passed out until I wake with a sudden jolt. By the position of the moon high above, it looks as if night has overtaken the arena once again. As I sit up, the moon seems to whip around me like I'm caught in some kind of whirlwind. After a few seconds, the moon returns to its normal position in the sky. Just as I'm about to drift into an actual sleep, I see a figure running in the distance. There is only one person that could bee. The remaining tribute, the female for district eight. I grab a trident, and in one fluid motion am up and running.

This girl has an unusually strong build for those in district eight. She also has extremely long legs which carry her easily through the foliage ahead of me. I try my best to keep up, but the gashes I received from the mutts pain me with each stride. This continues for about a minute before the girl's screams pierce the night. Running faster, I make my way to her just in time to see her body get thrown back to the ground. I throw my trident just to put her out of the misery she is obviously in. Before the trumpets sound announcing my victory, I run over as fast as my damage body allows me and look down at the mangled girl. She seems to have been burned all the way through. The thought strikes me quickly. I grab a branch and toss it in the general direction of where the girl seemed to have been burned. It bursts into flames for a second before dropping, withered, blackened, and burned, to the forest floor. This is where the arena must end. I smile triumphantly. Who would have thought that the capital would actually help me return home to my father and to Annie?

The trumpets blare, and I hear the arena's loudspeakers blaring all around me. "Ladies and Gentlemen! I present to you the victor of the sixty-fifth annual hunger games, Finnick Odair!" The deafening roar of the capital audience is overwhelming. A cocky smirk slides easily onto my face. I achieved the impossible. I actually won the games!

A hovercraft descends to the forest floor to collect the dead tribute's body. I watch it soar up, up, and over the trees. In it's place is another hovercraft. As it descends, a latter drops down in front of me, and I climb up into the vehicle. Instantly, there are doctors surrounding me. All I can see are crisp white cotes, and all I can hear is the frantic buzzing of many voices. This is definitely not what I expected after winning the games. Isn't the victor supposed to be lavished in riches and glory? Glancing down at my bruised body, I quickly discover the answer. I can't look like this in front of all of Panam. According to the capital and the gamemakers, I must look as if nothing at all has happened to me while in the games. While my body will be as good as new, I cannot say as much for my mind.

The medics lay me down on a bed which sheets almost whiter than their cotes. One of the doctors standing by my bed shoves a needle into my arm, and blackness swallows me.

A/N. Again, sorry about the lateness and shortness of this chapter, I promise I'll make it up to you guys! Thanks for getting to the bottom, and please review! 


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The smell of antiseptics seeps annoyingly into my drug-induced sleep. I wake with a start. Before I open my eyes, I just lay there, thinking. I had won the games, but what comes now? How will all this affect my life, and my father's? Suddenly, I'm panicking, question after question swirling through my head like bolts of lightning, most of which involving what will happen after the games. How will my family and I survive this? Will the Capital kill them for no reason? Are the gamemakers going to kill Annie? Father? Annie's Family? They are senseless questions, I know, but they plague me nevertheless.

Anxious to try and escape the fear that has invaded my mind, I open my eyes. Instead of my fear decreasing, it increases tenfold. The face of President Snow leers at me from a chair beside my bed. My breath quickens and I can feel my heart trying to pound its way out of my chest. President Snow is beside my hospital bed. Nothing good can come of this.

"Hello, Mr. Odair. How lovely to see you alive and well after such a trying experience." He says. His attempt at pleasantries makes me even more fearful. By looking at his expression, I can tell that this is exactly his intention.

"Hello, Mr. President," I manage to choke out through a tight throat and dry lips.

"Many of the sponsors are very pleased with your victory," He tells me. This might seem like a compliment, but I know better. A slight edge has crept into his tone, and his jaw has tensed ever so slightly.

"Thank you, Sir," I stutter out. He glares at me with a look full of such hatred that I barely hold back a cry of horror and fear.

"I, however, am not." My breath catches in my throat.

"Why?" I ask tentatively, my voice rasping heavily with fear on the way out.

"Because, Mr. Odair." Snow says, glancing at me to gage my reaction. I do my best to keep my emotions in check as I stare back. "You have defied my gamemakers by using the arena's force field to your advantage."

"But," I try to protest, but he cuts me off with a snarl of such raw and terrible rage that I'm left speechless.

"The girl who defied me is dead because of you. If you had left her alone, we would have been able to cut off the footage, kill you, and torture her sufficiently until she forgot the incident. Instead, you decided to fulfill your own needs before the gamemakers could stop you. Very impressive, really."

"But I," I try again, but all it takes is a look for the president to silence me.

"So, Mr. Odair, You know that you are quite hansom, don't you? Some women even call you gorgeous." My stomach sinks. The dread pooling there twirls around and around, growing more and more palpable with every second. "So, Mr. Odair. I have a proposition for you." The president strokes his beard thoughtfully. I raise my eyebrows. "Once you turn sixteen, you will." He pauses for a second, thinking. "Sell yourself." My heart rises into my throat.

"What?" I choke, now unable to hide my emotions. "You mean,"

"Yes, Mr. Odair. I'm sure you know exactly what I mean. You see, it would be scandalous to... Let's see. Start this business with you being so young, so I have decided to allow you to wait until you are sixteen years of age before you begin." The president's voice is so calm and emotionless. His expression is as casual as if he is discussing the weather with an old acquaintance. "Oh, I almost forgot. Sense you so enjoy defying me and the capital, you will not receive money for your favors." He enunciates the last word very carefully as if he's trying to intimidate me further. I give him a questioning look. "You will already have all the money in the world now that you're a victor. Secrets seemed to me to be the most valuable payment for you. You'll see what I mean when you begin."

The words that come out of my mouth surprise even me. "And what if I refuse?" President Snow laughs.

"Well, If you really want to know. Your father would probably suffer the same fate as your poor, dear mother." I try not to show my ever-growing terror for not only myself, but my family. The president smiles, obviously getting the reaction he had hoped for. President Snow stands and saunters to the door.

"Oh, one more thing. The pretty little girl you've been spending time with. What's her name? Annie? She will be eligible for the reaping in two years, coincidentally at the same time that your services begin. She could suffer the same fate as weak little Hanna. I will see you again, Finnick Odair." And with that, President Snow vanishes out the door.

I take deep breaths, trying to calm my rattled emotions. I have two years to worry and plan, which means I have two years until my father and Annie's lives are in jeopardy. The main problem is what Snow wants me to do to my body. I will literally be selling my body, not for money, but for secrets. I ponder this for a second. What kind of secrets would shallow capital women possess? Am I just going to be forced to be a prostitute simply for Snow's amusement?

I lay there for hours, thinking. My foggy brain takes forever to come up with the simple conclusion I'd been waiting for. Of course I'm not doing this for secrets. I am doing this to keep my family out of harm's way.

Once the doctors declare me well enough, I'm allowed to get out of bed. My relief is quickly dampened by the prospect of my victory interview. During this interview, a three hour recap of my games will be shown. This serves no real purpose apart from making me relive the horror of my games. Since I'm able to walk, I start pacing. As I'm turning to stride past the dresser, a glittery glint catches my eye. Annie's shell lies there, reflecting the rays of artificial light from my large hospital room window. Picking up the shell, I cradle it in both of my hands. It actually did bring me luck in the games. All I can do is hope that it will continue to bring me hope and luck throughout the interviews and victory tour. I place it back on the dresser in such a way so that it can reflect the most brilliant rays of "sunlight."

"Thank you, Annie," I whisper to myself, turning back to the door just in time to see my prep team burst through it. Within seconds, they're all on me. First, they embrace me, squealing and chattering about how glad they are to see me again. I give them a cocky smirk and nod. I understand that these people are absolutely clueless, but they still disgust me. As if to prove my point, they undress me and practically toss me into a tub of thick, foamy soap.

The process of getting me ready for yet another appearance on camera takes less time than usual due to my brand new skin. Within an hour, I am dressed in a suit and tie. I attempt to comfort myself with the thought that at least I'm not naked this time. My prep team leads me down to the main floor, and then into a car that takes me to the back of the training center. I am placed in an empty white room that reminds me eerily of the launch room that began my journey into the arena. There is even a glass tube in the corner with a metal plate for me to stand on. My breath comes in shallow gasps as I place my feet on the plate. I try to remind myself that this is just an interview, that I am not returning to the games. My heartbeat slows when the plate rises and I glimpse the lights of the same stage that my pre-games interview took place on. When my metal plate comes to a halt, I step off, and take my seat in a chair before Caesar.

"Hello again, Finnick Odair!" Caesar exclaims giving me his trademark grin. "It's so lovely to see that you've made it out of the arena! How has your time after the games been?"

"Well, I've mostly just been eager to get back on camera as a victor," I say, trying to appear genuinely pleased by this fact. The audience cheers deafen me as I smile and wave at the people on the sponsor's balcony of the auditorium.

"Wonderful!" Caesar shouts, smiling even wider now. "Well, Finnick, you killed most of the tributes in this year's games. We're all very impressed with you. How did you come up with the trapping strategy?"

"Well, actually, the sponsors gave me the idea." Might as well make them look good. After all, I'm already in far too deep with the president and the gamemakers. "When I saw the rope in the cornucopia, I just thought, why not? Then, sponsors sent me so much, I couldn't not use it." I grin at the sponsors, and the audience laughs.

"Excellent! Well, you definitely used it very well, didn't you? Finnick, are you looking forward to seeing your family when you return to district four?" The interview goes on in such a manor. Afterward, the lights dim and a screen roles down from the ceiling in front of the audience. Another screen rises up from the stage in front of me, and I settle down to relive the horror of my games. While every part of this experience is agony for me, Hanna's death is the worst. The recap depicts her sprinting through the blackness, running into trees that seem to leap out at her. Branches actually swoop down like giant hands, trying to grab choke her. As if all that isn't bat enough, yellow eyes follow Hanna through the darkness accompanied by the howls of mutts. By the end of about ten minutes of this, the audience has finished shrieking and whooping, encouraging Hanna's death. Eventually, the darkness lifts, and Hanna is swung into the air by the trap I'd set, and a trident is thrust through her chest. For the remainder of the recaps, I stare straight ahead, trying to pretend that I'm interested in what is happening on the screen when in reality, this is perhaps even worse than actually participating in the games. Eventually, the lights come back on, and the screens lift away.

President snow approaches me and places a heavy crown on my head. I have now been officially crowned as victor of the sixty-fifth annual Hunger Games. Before he vanishes from the stage, he murmurs so quietly that only I can hear. "Be Careful, Finnick Odair." His mouth tips slightly upward in a sneer before he is gone. I had known better than to believe I had been let off the hook, but the hope had crept into my mind. Now that I know better, the flame of hope had been snuffed out like a candle blown out by the breeze.

A/N. Thanks for reading, and as always, please review! I'm not sure if I should continue with this story. I'm suffering from a serious case of writer's block. I really need suggestions! Thanks so much, guys!

HouseOfNightMockingjay14 


	16. Chapter 16

A/N. First of all, I just wanted to say thanks for the encouraging reviews! Second, there is a very noticeable time skip in this chapter. I'm not just writing Finnick's games, so I have to skip his victory tour and the first couple years after the games. This next chapter starts a couple weeks before Annie's reaping. Thanks for reading, and here's chapter 16.

Chapter 16

The gleaming capital train slides smoothly away from the city's station, and finally out of the city itself. I had just completed some "services" to the capital women. I had long since discovered the meaning of the secrets whispered to me in return for them. The women I sleep with are all high up in the government. Some are gamemakers, others are some of President Snow's top advisers. Secrets range from the subject of the next quarter quell to top secret government operations and information. The secrets whispered in the thick darkness also contain rumors of a rebellion in the works. However, no secrets in the world are worth what so many people are doing to not only my body, but my mind as well. It is so sick ! be with a stranger at night, and leave them in the morning night after night. Some even believe that I love them.

I lay in my soft bed on the train, my head turned to look out the window. This is the first time in a week that I am resting in a bed that I could call my own. I let out a shaky sigh of contentment as I turn over into a more comfortable position. The forest flashes by, each individual tree leaving a brief image in my head until replaced by another one. My relief at escaping the capital yet again is nothing compared to the joy I feel at the prospect of getting to see Annie again soon. Annie and I have grown closer in the five years since I won the games. She and I share all our secrets- only the ones I can share- and feel completely safe and trusting of one another. She has been my rock for the past three years, the one person who I know will be there when I return home.

Hours pass. I don't change my position at all. I just keep staring at the woods and vegetation flashing beyond the thick glass of the train window. I don't even try to fall asleep. The nightmares that haunt me every time I sleep are not ones I wish to repeat right now. No one can ever keep the nightmares away. The women in the capital think they can, but they don't even come close. My usual nightmare consists of either throwing a trident into Hanna over and over again, or doing the same to Annie. After years of the same dream, it haunts me a little less now, but the heart-wrenching guilt will never leave me. My thoughts jumble up into one image. Hanna in the net-like snare. My nightmares are now intruding into my reality, my waking world. Before my eyelids, I see myself. I am younger. Only fourteen and covered from head to toe and grime and dirt. My dirt-smeared face is twisted into an expression of such unimaginable cruelty. My younger face twists up into a smirk as I throw the trident over and over again. I kill Hanna, Annie, my dad, even my mother. I feel the wetness of tears sliding between my cheek and the pillow my head lays on. I try to shake my head and rid myself of the repulsive scenarios my mind is creating. A warm, gentle hand on my shoulder doesn't do much to wake me from my trance. Mags pushes down on my shoulder, turning me on to my back. She then pulls me up to a sitting position. Her eyes are warm and soft. They glimmer with tears of her own as she pulls me into her arms.

"Nightmares?" She asks, full of concern. I don't respond. "We're home," Mags tries to prompt me out of the guilt that is literally forcing my body into a state of shock. She looks at me for a second, worry turning to fear. Mags pulls me up by the shoulder and half drags, half carries me from the train. She drags me to the house in the victor's village my father and I share. I try to help as much as I can, but it's hard to pull my mind from the overwhelming panic and guilt. Eventually, Mags helps me into my bed. I lay there, staring numbly at the ceiling.

Seemingly hours later, I hear soft footsteps pad up the stairs and down the hallway. The footsteps grow louder until they come into my room and stop at my bed.

"Fin?" Annie questions. I look at the ceiling quizzically, not quite remembering who the younger girl beside me is.

"Annie," I say flatly.

"Look at me," She coaxes. I don't respond. "Look at me!" Annie shouts after awhile. I do my best to comply. "Finnick!" She pleads, real fear creeping into her tone. From what I can see of her eyes, fear is reflected there also. "Ok, Finnick. You need to stop this! The guilt is eating you alive! It's literally killing you! If nothing else, stop it for me!"

"I killed you, Annie!" I scream. "You and Hanna and Mom and Dad!" The numbing shock at my recurring nightmare is over. Now the anger at the injustice of it all is the thing eating me alive. Annie grabs me by the shoulders, gets right in my face, and shakes me a bit too hard.

"It's not real!" She practically screams. "You need to get yourself out of whatever hell you're in and come back to me. This isn't you, Finnick Odair! You weren't like this when you saved my life!" Her lower lip is trembling now. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to think that we were more than friends! If you cared about me at all, you wouldn't be doing this to me!" She's run out of steam now, and is crying silently, sitting on the edge of my bed. I'm trying desperately to get out of the state I'm in when she crawls in next to me and holds me tightly. I'm a little shocked. She's only fifteen. I lay there for awhile, my body relaxing in her warm embrace.

"Annie," I whisper.

"Shh," She murmurs. "Shh. Go to sleep, Finnick. I'll keep the nightmares away."

A/N. I'm sorry if it's a little too weird for you. I just thought that that ending would be sweet. Let me know what you think of it, and again, thanks for reading! 


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

After about ten hours of sleep, the trance I seemed to be in finally lifted. When I opened my eyes to the blinding light of a district four morning, I was surprised to see Annie's face illuminated by the early morning sun. She had stayed with me throughout all of this. She had been so brave to stay with me while I screamed about unreal nightmares. She had tried desperately to wake me from them, but in the end, all she could do was keep them away throughout the rest of the night. I can't remember a time when I've felt more grateful for another human being.

The smile remains on my face as I slide out of bed to take a shower. Annie's dark hair floats down around her, disturbed by the movement of the bed. I stare at her for another couple moments, letting the feeling of gratitude wash over and through me. In a since she saved my life last night. Well, at least she saved my sanity.

I take my shower and get dressed in comfortable clothes. All I'm going to do today is relax and enjoy life as much as I can. Walking downstairs to eat breakfast, I happen to pass by the phone and see that a light is blinking. A message is flashing informing me that I have one missed call. When I read the name on the caller id, my heart begins to pound. The person who called me is none other than President snow. With shaking hands, I pick up the phone and touch the "call back" button. Pressing it to my ear, I hear the dial tone He picks up on the first ring.

"Hello Mr. Odair. Lovely to hear your voice," As usual, his voice is brimming with a sarcastic delight that only he can pull off.

"You too, President Snow," The attempt to remain emotionless is already fail.

"How is the business treating you?" He asks. Most people would mistake this conversation for small talk, but I can tell that he has somehow twisted his statement into something that resembles a threat.

I don't know how else to respond, so I just play dumb and continue with what he started. "Um, very well, thank you,"

"Wonderful," President Snow seems to be following my example. "I know you just got back from our beautiful Capital city, but I have an option for you." I'm sure he can hear my question without me even saying anything. "If you would like even more secrets, this year's head gamemaker would love your company for the whole of next week. Of course, I am a generous man," I hope I role my eyes, and turn my sarcastic laugh into a coughing fit.

"I'm sorry, sir. Yes you are," I agree after "recovering" from my violent coughing fit.

"I will of course give you the option to refuse. Just know that if you do, there will be some minor consequences The word minor swam around in my head. Secrets of less importance mean next to nothing to me. I don't need to spend the next week of my life having optional sex with a woman I don't even know.

"I really appreciate your offer, but I have other plans, Mr. President. I'm so sorry," I force my tone into politeness as I speak.

"That is perfectly fine Mr. Odair. Thank you so much for returning my call so early. I will speak with you again soon," The click of the phone is the start of anxiety. Why had I refused? What did minor consequences mean? How am I going to deal with this?

The minutes stretch into hour, which stretch into days. I worry a little, but I'm a teenage boy. I can't make myself spend the beautiful summer days inside by myself, worrying about something that was now out of my control. What would happen would happen, and I can do nothing about it. So I don't worry. Instead, I spend time with Annie. We swim, fish, make and nets. We focus more than usual on Annie's swimming technique. She is not a very strong swimmer in fast-moving waters, so we work on that. Our swimming lessons aren't exactly professional. We splash each other, laugh, and enjoy our time together. Before we know it, reaping day is dawning.

I'm no longer in the pool of potential victims because I'm a victor, so therefore I'm a mentor. To me, it's almost more painful to mentor than to be reaped. Whenever my tributes do not survive, I feel completely responsible. It's the worst feeling in the world to feel responsible for a person's death. I've only mentored in four games, but each time my tributes die, I feel like I should have done more.

This year is no different to me. I sit on the stage next Mags and several other victors from our district. We all exchange greetings, then turn to face the sea of faces. I scan the crowd, searching for Annie's normally sunny face. Today, her face is deathly pale. When she catches my eye, her lips tilt upward an infinitesimal amount. She can't even try to smile today.

After about five minutes of uncomfortable silence, Shine literally skips onstage. She's on a victory high this year, so she's even more energetic than usual.

"Welcome everyone!" She squeals into the microphone. The career families all cheer exuberantly. "Welcome to the seventieth annual Hunger Games!" Another cheer. She shows the movie we have to watch every year about terrible war and destruction. That uplifting moment, the reaping officially begins.

"Ladies first!" Shine exclaims. She totters over to the girls' bowl. She digs deep into the bowl and pulls out a name. All I can think is please, please don't be Annie! Shine takes her place in front of the podium once again. She draws breath and reads the name. "Annie Cresta,"

A/N. Hey again. Just wanted to say thanks for the follows and favorites! I stopped the chapter here because I had a question for you guys. Should I write the games in Annie's POV, or stay in Finnick's? Please review. I really want to know what you guys think, good or bad, about this story so far! Thanks for the support!

HouseOfNightMockingjay14 


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Annie POV

"Annie Cresta." My name is still echoing around the square, bouncing back at me from every angle possible. Some people are clapping, others are silent. I stare numbly ahead as peacekeepers push me forward. I stagger a little on the way to the stage, my body still working through the shock of being reaped. Someone will volunteer for me. District four is a career district. Someone must volunteer for me. Some sick, sadistic eighteen-year-old girl who believes winning the hunger games to be an honor. As I walk across the stage to stand next to Shine, my hope begins to gradually leave me. Normally, people would be nearly running one another over in their haste to compete in the games. This time, however, no shouts of, "I volunteer!" ring out across the square. Even Shine seems surprised by the lack of volunteers. She glances around, a slightly comical look of confusion twisting her features.

"Well, This is wonderful Shine exclaims shrilly. The woman really is clueless. "If we really don't have any volunteers, we'll move on to the boys." The boy tribute turns out to be a boy named James Hamilton. I think I remember him as one of the merchant kids. He has obviously spent most of his life inside the marketplace. His muscles are not well-developed, and he doesn't seem to be at all confident in his abilities. We shake hands, and then we are led into the justice building.

I sit there in the decorated room, debating my odds for the games. I know that I'm probably not going to survive very long. All I know how to do is clean and gut fish, swim, and make nets. If I ended up in a forest, I'd be dead in a minute. I try to remember how Finnick always throws his tridents. I try to replay the motions his hands make. He always throws so cleanly. It's impossible for my mind to grasp how he does it. Years of training, I guess.

Just as my thoughts are turning more negative and self-deprecating than ever before, my parents walk in briskly and hug me tightly. The tears that I'd held in on the stage in front of the whole of Panam spill over, and I cry desperately into my mother's shirt.

"It'll be okay, Annie. You'll be okay," She whispers soothingly. My parents and I know how unlikely it is that I'll come out of the arena alive. Even though I know they're sure that I won't survive, they continue to reassure me. This lasts until the three minutes are up, and peacekeepers drag my parents away from me.

I sit there for an eternity, tears streaming down my face. Apparently, I have no more visitors. I guess it was too much to hope that some people from school would care enough to say goodbye. With tears still blurring my vision, I stare at the door as it opens. My hope begins to blossom. Maybe someone besides my parents is coming to say goodbye to me after all? Then I see Shine's makeup-covered face, and my heart drops into my stomach. I knew it all along. No one cares enough.

"Hello, dear," Shine calls from the doorway. Visiting hour is up. It's time to board the train!" Her excitement makes me sick. I stand up, my legs shaking slightly. I try to clear away the damage the tears left on my face with little success. Now all of Panam will label me as weak. An easy target. I follow Shine out of the justice building and to a car that is waiting for us.

I end up squashed between Shine and James, so it's not the most enjoyable ride of my life. On my right is someone who, despite his lack of training, could kill me easily, and to my left is a frilly capital woman who enjoys all of this. Finnick and Mags are in the back seat. I can tell that Finnick is trying to catch my eye, but I look away. Why is he trying to be nice to me right now? As I look out the front window just as the train station is coming into view. This all seems so surreal. I've only seen this moment on television. The only difference about this year is that there are no arrogant careers exiting from the sleek car. Instead, district four has two weak tributes who won't last through the bloodbath.

Countless blinding camera flashes later, we are permitted to step into the train. Thankfully, there aren't any cameras inside.

"You two better go wash up," Shine chirps. "I'll show you two where your rooms are." We follow shine through cars and narrow hallways, and finally end up at two adjacent doors.

"This one's yours," Shine beams, gesturing at a beautiful door to the left. I nod, and after walking in, slam the door behind me. Finnick had told me many stories about the luxury of the rooms on the tribute trains, and it turns he wasn't exaggerating one bit. I take several tentative steps on the velvet carpet before opening the door to the bathroom. The shower has literally walls full of buttons. After figuring it all out and finishing my shower, I step out and get dressed in a green shirt and jeans.

I stand there for a moment, staring around at the luxury surrounding me. Finally, I make a decision and sit gingerly on the bed.

I don't know if I've fallen asleep or not, but a light knock on the door wakes me from my thoughts.

"Annie?" Finnick's voice asks softly. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," I croak, trying to strengthen my voice so he can hear me. He must have heard my attempt, because he opens the door and comes over to me.

"Are you okay, Annie?" Finnick asks, still in that soft tone of voice. What does he think I'm going to say. Yeah, I'm fine.

"No," I say flatly. I really don't want Finnick to see me like this. Sure, we've been friends for years, but he is also the merciless killing machine and victor of the sixty-fifth hunger games. I don't want him to see me as weak like everyone else does.

"I mean, I guess I," I try to cover up, make myself seem stronger. The attempt fails when tears start to stream down my face. I expect Finnick to walk away in disgust, but instead he pulls me into his arms. I don't even think. I bury my head in his chest and sob. He smells so good. Like home and salt water and sun. I don't know how long we stay like this. Finnick rubbing my back soothingly, and me sobbing. Finally, the tears refuse to come. I look up at him, my face still streaked with tears. He wipes them away with his thumb.

"How, Finnick? I can't do it. I'm so weak. I can't do anything." I try to keep the hysterical sobs out of my voice, but it doesn't work.

"You can do it, Annie. Mags and I will help you. It's my fault you're here in the first place. You'll be okay. I'll make sure you're okay." I can see the promise in his eyes. I let out a shuddering breath and shake my head slowly.

"There's no way I'll come out alive. It just," Finnick looks at me for a long moment, and the intense look in his eyes stops me from saying anything more. He leans closer. My eyes close of their own accord, and I wrap my arms around him. His lips touch mine. The kiss explodes within me, filling me with warmth, safety, and reassurance. The kiss is over almost as soon as it started.

"You'll be okay, Annie. I promise." After kissing me on the forehead, he leaves the room, leaving me to try and figure out what in the world just happened.

A/N. Like it? Hate it? Review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading, and Happy Thanksgiving!

HouseOfNightMockingjay14 


	19. Chapter 19

Okay, so we're nearing the end of this fanfic, mostly because I'm getting kinda bored writing it. Warning, this chapter contains minor swearing. Anyway, there will be many time skips and stuff like that. So, here's Chapter nineteen

Chapter 19

Finnick POV.

I sit there in the Mentor's lounge in the training center, watching Annie in her launch room, preparing to rise into the arena. The only advice I could give her was to run as fast as possible away from the madness at the cornucopia. All I can do now is hope that she listens to my advice, mostly because I don't want her to die. It seems inevitable, though. I watch, heart pounding, as she rises up into the arena. She looks around, taking in her surroundings. A landscape speckled with caves and crevices stretches in most all directions. A mountain rises up several miles in front of her, and the same to the back. She is in a valley, no trees or water in sight.

Annie POV.

The clock counts down from sixty.

Fifty-nine. I hope I don't die.

Fifty-eight. I could be dead within an hour.

Fifty-six. I think about Finnick's kiss. Does he really love me? Or am I just another girl to him.

Forty-nine. What do I do?

Forty What the hell do I do? There isn't a single hiding place in sight, accept for the dark openings in the distant mountains, which could hide any terror.

Thirty. Should I run.

Twenty-nine. Should I run into the cornucopia and just get it over with fast?

Twenty. Run.

Eighteen Fight.

Ten. Run.

Seven. I love you, mom and dad.

Five. I love you, Finnick.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Run.

I turn, sprinting as fast as I can away from the cornucopia. Crap. All I have now are the clothes on my back, and my shell that Finnick returned to me for good luck in the arena. What good would a shell do right now? All I can do right now is just to get the heck out of here. I run as far and fast as I can. My legs ache, and my chest is heaving. After about an hour of flat out running, I know I'm in trouble. Sharp pains are knifing through my chest, causing my breath to come in short, shallow gasps. I can barely feel my feet anymore, and the skin on my face is already pealing from excruciating sunburn. I guess the gamemakers have cranked up the temperature.

I attempt to stay on my feet, stumbling with the effort of it. Suddenly, my foot is flailing in midair, and I'm falling, falling, falling.

Finnick POV.

I watch her fall into the deep hole. Her ankle lands beneath her, and I hear it break with an unnatural-sounding crack. Crap. Why did I let this happen to her? I watch her for a second longer, then decide to send her something, since it's obvious to me that there is no way to climb the stone walls of the hole. I press a red button on control panel and watch a list of options appear on the screen "What the heck," I mutter to myself, deciding to blow most of the sponsor money in one shot. I select some options, then press the send button. My screen flashes back to the image of Annie, and I relax a little, waiting for her to receive her gifts.

Annie POV.

"Ow!" I tried not to sound too loud, but I guess why you break your ankle, you kind of deserve to say something like that. "God," I mutter. Sitting back on my good leg, I cradle injured ankle in my hand. How the (insert swear word of your choice here) am I going to even have a chance at coming out alive? Just as I'm beginning to feel more and more sorry for myself, I make out two parachutes floating slowly down toward me. I catch them when they get closer, and open one of them to examine the contents. It contained medicine and a note which read:

Annie, put this on your ankle. It's high-tech medicine and it will practically heal it.  
Good luck,  
Finnick

The medicine turns out to be a patch, which I stick on ankle. The burning pain hits me instantly. The second parachute contains a meal. I guess Finnick guessed I wouldn't be coming out of this hole anytime soon. As I dig in, I look at the slick, smooth stone sides of the hole. He was definitely right.

The meal fills me up quickly, and I save what I don't eat for later. Who knows how much money this cost. As I'm settling down on the stone floor, I hear the first cannon. One, two, three... On and on until fifteen cannons have fired. Fifteen? I think that's a record for number of deaths in one day. At least it isn't likely that any of the remaining eight tributes will find me because of my location.

Days pass, with me sitting here, worrying, running through possible deaths in my head. How will I die? From hunger? Thirst? Finnick's food has kept me remarkably hydrated and feeling full, but what happens when hunger replaces the fullness? The day passes like this, in a daze of worry. Just as the sun is setting, I see the first droplets of water rising from the ground.

Ooo, cliffy? I guess? Sorry it's sooo short. I'm writing this in Algebra class, so don't want to get caught. That's just how bored I am right now... Algebra really, really sucks. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me, and please r and r! Laters, awesome readers.

Houseofnightmockingjay14 


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